Special Warfare Attrition p. 42 | Solving Safety p. 34 | Boeing’s T-X Win p. 16

WHAT’S

NEXTFOR TYNDALL Six Keys To The Future Of A Wrecked Air Force Base

December 2018 $8

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FEATURES 23 STAFF

20 Publisher Larry O. Spencer Editor in Chief Tobias Naegele

Managing Editor 42 Juliette Kelsey Chagnon Editorial Director John A. Tirpak News Editor Amy McCullough Assistant Managing Editor Chequita Wood 20 Can Tyndall Recover? 34 Safety First 46 Outstanding Airmen of the Senior Designer By John A. Tirpak By Brian W. Everstine Year Dashton Parham Six questions in need of After the stand-down, more The 12 Outstanding Airmen of Pentagon Editor answers. focus on readiness. the Year. Brian W. Everstine 24 Unwinding the Maintainer 38 Retaining Future Air Force 50 The Fall of France Senior Editor Steve Hirsch Mess Women Generals By John T. Correll By Brian W. Everstine By John A. Tirpak Miscalculations led the Digital Platforms Editor A problem years in the Women are underrepresented superior force to a stunning Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory making continues—especially in Air Force ranks. There are defeat in less than six weeks. Production Manager ways to change that. Eric Chang Lee in the Guard and Reserve. 56 The Best Bargain 42 Special Treatment for in Militar y Histor y Photo Editor 30 Deterrence in Europe Mike Tsukamoto By Amy McCullough Special Warriors By Walter J. Boyne and Philip USAF is prepositioning By Steve Hirsch Handleman base supplies and materials How the Air Force is building The stunningly eŠ ective and Contributors Walter J. Boyne, John T. Correll, throughout the European the next generation of special adaptable B-52. Robert S. Dudney, Philip Theater. warfare airmen. Handleman, Jennifer Hlad

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DECEMBER  ★ AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Editorial By Tobias Naegele, Editor in Chief

The Air—and Space—Force We Need

Three themes are playing out across the Air Force as 2018 nears Air Force and Lockheed maintainers who got them back in the air its end. Together they speak volumes about where the service is faster than initially thought possible. Yet the fact remains that, in headed—or could end up—in the future. an emergency, the Air Force could only surge 70 percent of those The first is the vision for the future size of the force, what Air F-22s to get them out of harm’s way. Force leaders are calling “the Force We Need.” The second is the What if that had been an attack instead? disaster that befell Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and what that On a more familiar battleground—Washington—sides are form- tells us about the true state of Air Force readiness today. The third ing up for the battle over a proposed new “Space Force.” Led by is the battle over space, and the politics, costs, benefits, and risks Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan, the Pentagon of creating a brand-new, independent armed service for space. is drawing up plans to form a Department of the Space Force from Our Air Force is too small to match the demands of the National parts drawn mostly from the Air Force, with smaller pieces from the Security Strategy. Its 312 operational squadrons are overworked Army and Navy. The logic is that space is a unique domain, that prior and under-resourced. Shortages of parts, pilots, and seasoned administrations under-invested there, and that a new bureaucracy maintainers mean aircraft can’t fly and pilots can’t maintain peak is needed to guide development of space-based capabilities. readiness. Witness the rash of accidents last winter that led to Wilson and Goldfein are in favor of the split, as long as it a servicewide safety stand-down in spring. The conclusion: Op is done right. Some question their bona fides, however. The tempo and stress are undermining safety. knives came out for Wilson because she had the audacity to Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of StaŒ Gen. David put a price-tag on her own plan: An internal study pegged L. Goldfein make the case for 386 operational squadrons, a 24 the five-year cost of forming a Space Force headquarters and percent increase, with added capability in almost every aspect of secretariat at $13 billion. the force. So far, they oŒer this as a conclusion, not a detailed plan Space Force zealots howled that the price tag was inflated and for how to get there. It’s unclear how they arrived at this number, that its release was intended to undermine space independence. whether they anticipate changing A better answer is that this was squadron composition or how many America does not need a an honest act of transparency, a new people, planes, and other gear dose of reality about the true cost they will need to acquire. Secretary of the Space Force. of bureaucracy. The only reason Yet the arguments for growth are to fear and object to that reality is clear. The Air Force is fraying at its edges. It has been in constant that it interferes with the logic and excitement of creating a new combat since 1991—27 years. The average age of USAF planes is military branch. 28, double what it was in the first Gulf War. Many airframes are America does not need a Secretary of the Space Force. Adding now irreplaceable. We can’t buy more“ C-17s or F-22s. Our B-52 a Space Force Chief of” StaŒ will not increase the lethality of the US bombers and KC-135 tankers date from the KennedyAmerica administration. does notmilitary. need The aJoint Chiefs will not become wiser with the addition It’s a struggle to keep many of the service’s premier aircraft of an eighth four-star general. ready to fight: The F-22A had the service’s lowestSecreta mission-capablery of the SpaceThe United Force. States does need, however, to invest in space rate in 2017 at 49 percent; the B-1, B-2, and F-35 were all under 55 capabilities that enhance our ability to use space eŒectively for percent. If a crisis strikes tomorrow, half our combat aircraft won’t our national defense. First, we must ensure the Air Force’s space get oŒ the ground. mission is fully funded. Second, we must formally acknowledge This is not just a USAF problem. The Navy’s F/A-18 mission-ca- space as a warfighting domain with the re-establishment of US pable rate is also only 55 percent. This“ is what happens when Space Command, as the” Pentagon already envisions. Modeled on missions grow and resources shrink, as happened during the US Special Operations Command, SPACECOM would also provide dark days of sequestration. With the recently Aannouncedmerica cuts does to notjoint-service need a domain expertise and leadership without creating a the 2020 budget, it is happening again. separate service and all the costs that would entail. If necessary, What does it look like when the alarm soundsSecretar and planesy can’t of thewe Space can ensure Force. the nation understands where our primary mili- get oŒ the ground? Look at Tyndall. Hurricane Michael was an tary focus on space resides by renaming the Air Force as the US act of God, not of war, but its vengeance was no less menacing, Aerospace Force. its destruction no less complete, and the lessons no less severe. Logic tells us that creating a Space Force unwittingly opens the When Tropical Storm Michael cranked up its winds and upgraded door to other parochial debates: Submariners could argue that its violence from Tropical Storm to 1 mph“ short of a Category 5 undersea warfare is really” its own domain. Cyber warriors could monster, there was just enough time to evacuate the base and call for a unified Cyber Force. Airpower advocates could return to get all the airworthy aircraft possible out of the storm’s path. Left old arguments over why the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps should behind were 17 F-22s in various states of disrepair. Michael ripped cede their aviation assets to the Air Force. These are not good the roof from one of those hangars, and for a week it seemed we ideas—they are illustrations of parochialism run amok. might have lost a number of our most capable airframes. America already has the Space Force we need. It’s called the US As it turns out, all of those aircraft were able to fly again by Air Force. Let’s invest in making that Air Force—and all its space early November, a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of assets—great again. J

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Letters

From the Editor in Chief … look forward to their arrival, wel- something significant happens, the With this issue I join the long and sto- come them into our homes, enjoy one who brings a unique perspective ried history of Air Force Magazine and their company. We notice when they to every conversation, who helps the Air Force Association, succeeding change and worry if they seem to be explain what’s complex, and shed Adam Hebert as editor in chief. I am growing away from us. I am confident light on what’s hidden. Most of all, grateful for the loyal readers and talent- that, like a good friend, you will tell we want to be that friend who, when ed sta he leaves behind and excited me when you think we fall short and it’s time to leave, surprises you as you about the opportunities that lie ahead. how we can do better. That’s what realize how much time has passed in Having spent 30-plus years in military friends are for. pleasurable discourse. and defense journalism, half that time Beginning with this issue, you will Everyone has ideas about what will as chief editor of the Military Times and notice changes in substance, style, make a publication better. I invite you Defense News media groups, this is and design. The intent is to make this to share yours and look forward to a familiar territory. Yet every product and magazine more valuable to our read- long and rewarding friendship with readership is unique, and I’m excited ers: more current, more compelling, each of you. to learn the nuances of this one as I more insightful, and therefore more Tobias Naegele embark on this adventure. important. We want to be the friend Editor in Chief Magazines are like good friends. We you can’t wait to hear from when [email protected]

Winging It version created under former SECAF from the early 1940s and was embossed Congratulations on the 100th anniver- [Sheila E.] Widnall. She said that the Air on the flight clothing of the crews that sary issue, September 2018. The cover Force needed an o icial symbol, when in flew thousands of combat missions in was outstanding and thanks for placing fact the Arnold symbol had been there all theaters in World War II, the Berlin at the top the “Hap Arnold” wings and for decades. Airlift, the Korean War, the Cold War, star symbol. That symbol was worn on the shoul- and Vietnam. I never warmed to the “space age” ders of all AAC and AAF uniform jackets That original symbol had a long life.

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DECEMBER  ★ WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM I have an Air Force document from the ple present a much larger challenge. Letters early 1980s that has the symbol at the top Our personnel system, both military of the page. Thanks again for featuring and civilian, is overburdened by too the original symbol on your cover. much oversight, too many reports, MSgt. Edward Curtis Jr., too many meetings, and tinkering USAF (Ret.) from upper management. Recent ini- Grapevine, Texas tiatives by the SECAF and CSAF have addressed these deficiencies by elim- Air Force Association We’re Not Them inating unnecessary bureaucracy, but 1501 Lee Highway • Arlington, VA 22209-1198 A couple of the captions in the “Old much remains to be done—specifically afa.org Bombers, Making History” story in the convincing the force to cut out non-val- Telephone: 703.247.5800 August issue [p. 48] incorrectly iden- ue-added activity. Just do it! Toll-free: 800.727.3337 tify weapons personnel as munitions The current personnel system is not designed to pay people based on Fax: 703.247.5853 personnel. Munitions personnel build, store, and deliver the munitions to the contributions rather than supervisor flight line. Weapons personnel load responsibility, nor is it designed to AFA’s Mission the munitions as well as maintain the hire people motivated to do the im - Our mission is to promote a dominant weapons systems and components of possible. This must change if we are United States Air Force and a strong to remain competitive and able to win national defense and to honor airmen and the aircraft. There is a stark contrast our Air Force heritage. between the two career fields and America’s wars. The various “pay for neither wants to be confused with performance” and direct-hiring initia- the other. tives are good first steps and must be To accomplish this, we: CMSgt. W. Glen Pugh accelerated. ■ Educate the public on the critical need Abilene, Texas The 14 rules should be proliferated for unmatched aerospace power and a throughout DOD, and indeed our entire technically superior workforce to ensure Skunk Rules For All government. This list could have just US national security. The article “Skunk Works at 75” is as well been titled, “How to Create ■ Advocate for aerospace power the most profound article I’ve ever read Winning Organizations.” and STEM education. in Air Force Magazine [September, p. Col. W. Michael Guillot, 34], because of the effect the 14 rules USAF (Ret.) ■ Support the Total Air Force family and could have for our country. The list can Montgomery, Ala. promote aerospace education. be separated into two distinct groups: creating innovative culture and nurtur- Chapman and Child Contacts ing creative people. I’ve managed to read the excellent CyberPatriot .... [email protected] In some cases, we are innovative by article on MSgt. John Chapman’s Field Services ...... [email protected] inviting and linking new ideas using Medal of Honor several times and Government Relations ...... [email protected] small teams. Just ask the Defense In - will retain it in my personal archives. Insurance ...... [email protected] novation Unit in Silicon Valley or some Without taking anything away from Membership...... [email protected] of the various national labs. We could the article itself, I am repeatedly News [email protected] be doing much better by allowing more drawn to the profound and moving rank-and-file organizations to create photograph that makes up the cover Magazine and keep the magic alive by dreaming of your October/November issue. [email protected] and acting on those dreams. My sense This crusty old chief is moved to tears Editorial O›ices ...... [email protected] is, this kind of widespread creativity is every time I look at it. In my mind, it Letters to Editor [email protected] stifled by a risk-averse culture and a gives new meaning to that old axiom, Wingman ...... [email protected] fear of failure. “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The rules for nurturing creative peo - Thank you so much for sharing it Change of Address/Email with us. In an e›ort to stay connected with AFA INDEX TO ADVERTISERS CMSgt. Robert D. Hudson, and your local chapter, please update your mailing and email addresses. Change of USAF (Ret.) address requires four weeks’ notice. Air Force Enlisted Village ...... 7 Bismarck, N.D. Association of Graduates ...... 3 To update your contact information: AT&T...... 19 Fake News, Indeed ■ Email: [email protected] Bombardier ...... Cover IV Richard Reif seems to have taken Bradford ...... 55 President [Donald J.] Trump’s frequent ■ Visit: The Members Only area Jeppesen ...... 5 critiques of Jeff Bezos to the extreme of our website, afa.org Mercer ...... 29 [“Letters: Monetary Collusion,” Oc- ■ Call: Our Membership Department Rolls Royce ...... Cover II tober/November, p. 4]. In voicing his at 1-800-727-3337 USAA ...... Cover III concern over Amazon Web Services Watches Wanted ...... 61 (AWS) providing “cloud computing ser- ■ Mail your magazine label, including your vices to the entire federal Intelligence first and last name, to our Membership AFA Air Warfare Symposium ...... 37 Community,” Reif makes a spurious Department at 1501 Lee Highway, AFA Membership ...... 63 charge that since Bezos owns Amazon Arlington, VA 22209-1198. Combined Federal Campaign ...... 37 and The Washington Post and since

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Letters the latter reports on the Intelligence posed, “Why do our intel agencies more? We decided we needed to buy Community that creates a conflict of need Amazon’s cloud computer ser- innovation.‘ ” interest for Bezos. vices?” No, Mr. Reif, Amazon’s success is Huh? Had Reif read that Atlantic piece no reason for you to spin webs of In an article from the July 2014 issue thoroughly and not cherry-picked text unfounded conspiracies. There are of The Atlantic, Reif found this excerpt to suit his biases, he would have found sufficient proclamations of “fake news” friendly to his premise, “This is a his answer—“What we were really look- emanating from others in government radical departure for the risk-averse ing at was time to mission and inno- without adding yours to the chorus. Intelligence Community.” vation,” the former intelligence official Frank G. Scafidi Reif’s quote is close, but in the actual said. “The goal was, ‘Can we act like a Carmichael, Calif. passage from that edition is this, “For large enterprise in the corporate world the risk-averse Intelligence Communi- and buy the thing that we don’t have, Pick That Fruit ty, the decision to go with a commercial can we catch up to the commercial With reference to the C-5 entry in the cloud vendor is a radical departure cycle? Anybody can build a data cen- June Almanac issue [p. 101]: Because from business as usual.” ter, but could we purchase something the C-5A airframes in AMARC still have Not only is Reif’s direct quotation in- accurate, he leaves the impression that somehow going with AWS is weak- ening security. But, later in that same piece is this: “CIA Chief Information Officer Douglas Wolfe called it [the contract with AWS] … one of the most important technology procurements in recent history. I think it’s going to make MISSION CONTROL a big difference for national security.” Then Reif refers to a Nov. 20, 2017, MISSION COMMAND Washington Post article that he says found “some serious security mistakes, MISSION COMPLETE … which Amazon was seeking to rem- edy.” This again leaves the impression Jeppesen’s Total Mission Solution powers that AWS has security problems and your mission from start to nish. From tasking that it was “seeking to remedy,” but to executing to post-mission analysis, our nowhere in that story is there any such unmatched suite of products and services language. helps you exercise command authority, make There were three episodes where informed decisions and achieve your objectives. users of AWS failed to properly se- cure their own information and left it vulnerable, but those were not at all a Visit jeppesen.com or call result of weak or flawed AWS security. 800.537.7002 to learn more today. Finally we get to the meat of Reif’s letter. He is angry, really, really angry that President Trump—an avowed critic of Jeff Bezos and Amazon and The Washington Post—has not stepped in to “cancel the contract or ask tough questions about it?” Tough questions, like the one Reif

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DECEMBER  ★ WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM significant hours left on them, with only You would think that Boeing would have To quote Rainer W. Josenhanss: “You Letters the problem of trouble-prone engines that whole air refueling thing down pat. never get a second chance to make a and other subsystems onboard, I would The KC-46 is built on the B-767 airframe first impression.” propose that private industry, under that has been flying since the early David Ribbe the rubric of the CRAF program, buy 1980s. Every time I read the Daily Report Nanuet, N.Y. up some (20-40?) of the best A model there has been another delay with the airframes in the boneyard for next to comm gear or are you ready for this ... the About the Air Force adopting the nothing, and do the M mod-plus a boom! Boeing has been in the refueling Army’s operational camouflage pattern: rigorous review and replacement of business for almost 70 years. This is one What a waste of my taxes! I joined the the remaining high-maintenance items item that should not have any problems. Civil Air Patrol cadet program in 1966. with commercially available equipment, The KC-10 was fielded quickly without Within two years, all the patches and in other words, picking the low-hang- too many problems. Somebody is not do- collar insignia I purchased were deemed ing fruit. Civil industry could operate ing their job and, as usual, the taxpayer obsolete, and so began a cycle of con- the aircraft as a Western analog to the is on the hook. Good thing the KC-135 stantly purchasing new items. There commercially operated An-124, selling was built as good as it was because the was the change from silver chevrons hours, pounds, and miles to whomever way things are going with the KC-46, it and name tags on the fatigue uniform in needs it in the Western world. I imagine will have to fly another 50 years. 1978. There were the “blueberry” airmen they could do it more e„iciently than the George Keeler stripes in 1976 (who was the flaming military/government can and usefully Pine Plains, N.Y. genius who thought of that?). Then it augment our outsize cargo capabilities. was BDUs in 1987. Before I retired in MSgt. Christopher Dierkes More Uniform Kerflule 1992, there was the change to the master Westhampton Beach, N.Y. My thanks to both Mr. Endsley and sergeant stripes (“top three”, really?). For Mr. Haigh for their comments and lively what? All because some colonel or some What a Good Fellow! opinions regarding current Air Force chief master sergeant with too much Imagine my sheer exhilaration upon dress standards “Letters,” August, p. 4 time on their hands decided to make seeing the article featuring 1st Lt. John and October/November p. 4]. a change—which confirms my opinion Goodfellow [“Namesakes: Goodfellow,” I agree with Mr. Endsley that today’s there are no improvements, only chang- October/November, p. 88]. “on-the-job” uniform is unattractive and es. None of this had anything to do with I enlisted with USAF in July 1962. looks like pajamas. When on base, other winning wars, which should be the main I was security-cleared for USAFSS than clerical jobs, we wore fatigues with consideration when any “improvement” [USAF Security Service] at Goodfellow the shirt tucked into the pants along with is contemplated. I enjoyed serving in the Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. a standard-issue blue belt. A practical Air Force; the uniform changes are one My class, BN14112, graduated in May utility uniform with a sharp, military thing I don’t miss. 1963. I still have our graduation photo. appearance. When o„ base, Class A or MSgt. Michael R. Betzer, Capt. Donald Clark was our squadron Class B dress was expected to be worn. USAF (Ret) commander. Captain Clark formed an Mr. Haigh’s referral to the reduced Lancaster, Calif. Airman’s Advisory Council. I was [one number of airmen and unit manning of] its first members. shortages as a reason for sloppy ap- Pride’s a Family Tradition My four years with USAF are among pearance is not an excuse for excepting I’ve read with great interest about our the best of my entire life. I was giving lower uniform dress standards. past, current, and future Air Force in Air serious thought to a USAF career, It is not true that the majority of airman Force Magazine since being a brown bar becoming a commissioned o„icer. Re- don’t live on base in barracks or the BOQ and looked forward to each issue. One of grettably, and I do mean regrettably, [bachelor o„icer quarters]. That may be my favorite sections of your magazine is I returned to civilian life after being true of Air National Guard and Reserve “Letters.” For instance, in the September honorably discharged with three written personnel, but is not the case with Active issue, I read with great interest Carl Van commendations. Duty airmen. Pelt’s commentary [“A Di„erent Breed,” I was promoted to sta„ sergeant be - Mr. Haigh’s statement that in yester- p. 4], and I largely agree with what he has fore I turned 21 as a result of being ad - year “leaving the base depended on to say. However, his closing comments mitted into the “2T” (two-tour program). obeying higher-up demands” is total took me somewhat aback. Before I re- I do not recall that we were told the nonsense. Permission from supervisory tired in 1985, I swore in my son Charles history of naming Goodfellow. Your ranks was never a requirement at any of as a second lieutenant, using the same article makes my journey all the more the three bases that I served at. brown bars I once proudly wore. He meaningful. Thank you! The fact that the military brass spent subsequently flew the A-10 for over Vince Turner their time and taxpayer money to ap- 3,500 hours in all the wars and conflicts Silver Spring, Md. prove a utility uniform that looks like I could no longer be involved in. I met camouflage pajamas is a disservice to the young men and women who went Aged Tankers Aging On the airmen who have to wear it. So I don’t o„ to RAF Bentwaters, England, feeling Seems to me that something is amiss blame the troops for this uniform fiasco. 10 feet tall, just having finished training with the KC-46 tanker [“Mobility Boom,” They would like to ditch the “pajamas” at Davis-Monthan [AFB, Ariz.,] to man August, p. 26]. In the 1950s, we built and look professional and sharp on their country’s defenses against the over 750 KC-135s on a relatively new duty. Appearance is a vital part of being Soviet foe and subsequently participate airframe in a matter of five years or militarily competent. I blame the USAF in conflicts none of us had dreamed of at so. Boeing built the airplane and flying uniform board for recommending it and the time. Like Carl said in his letter, they, boom that was perfected on the KC-97. the USAF senior o„icers for approving it. too, were changed forever and bonded.

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Letters

My son later flew in the 52nd Fighter who serve our country now and are advanced flight training at Tuskegee Wing at Spangdahlem [AB, Germany], charged with its protection, you wouldn’t Army Air Field, not part of Tuskegee Insti- a wing I flew with after I returned from mind flying with. Later next month, my tute. Tuskegee Institute awarded James Vietnam, and the ground and aircrew I granddaughter Anna is oŽ to Laughlin his college degree in 1969 because he met on a visit were all as inspired and AFB, Texas, to enter pilot training and had taken additional courses during his professional as we once were. I do book keep up a tradition of service to our military career. He received his degree, signings at the National Air and Space nation, now in the third generation. Yes, in physical education, just before his Museum now and meet in the process she wants to fly the A-10, just like her promotion from colonel to brigadier many youngsters flying everything from dad once did. general. He went on to become the first the B-1, F-22, F-35, A-10, C-130, C-5, Col. Wolfgang W. E. Samuel, African-American four-star general in RC-135, etc., not just fighter pilots, but USAF (Ret.) any of the military services. the others as well, who make it all work Fairfax Station, Va. Daniel L. Haulman for us—and I see the gleam in their eyes Maxwell AFB, Ala. and the pride they feel in what and who Better Late than Never they are. America may have changed Peter Grier’s article, “The Chappie A Good Man Gone since our Vietnam days, but the few are James Way,” published in the October/ Your September 2018 issue brought still as capable and proud as ever to be November issue [p. 70], contains much sad news of the death of Gen. Lawrence part of the defense of our great nation. valuable information about a great Amer- A. Skantze [p. 14]. He was a man of many I am not saying that we don’t have our ican, but it also contains a major error. skills and talents, but he was especially issues—retention problems in a vibrant It falsely claims that Daniel “Chappie” good working with the news media. I economy are nothing new. But those James graduated from Tuskegee In- know because I was his public aŽ airs who man the cockpits I would fly with stitute in 1942. Actually, he received oŽ icer at Air Force Systems Command any day—and their standards are as high his Tuskegee Institute degree in 1969, from mid-1985 until he retired in 1987. as ever. They will have their reunions, just twenty-seven years later. The reason Skantze’s defense of the B-1 on the as we do and our World War II flyers had James did not graduate in 1942 is that “Today Show” was a classic that has before us, and look back with pride at the he was expelled from Tuskegee Institute been used by the Air Force in its me- time when they did something unselfish, for fighting during his senior year, not dia-relations training program. He will serving their country. long before he expected to complete his be missed. So, Carl, America may have changed college degree. Despite his expulsion, Col. David J. Shea, in ways, as we always have and will con- James entered military pilot training, USAF (Ret.) tinue to change in the future, but those also at Tuskegee, and graduated from Springfield, Va.

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DECEMBER  ★ WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM SCREENSHOT

As American as baseball and apple pie, SSgt. Kori Myers waves the flag from the ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III before Game 3 of the 2018 National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers went on to win the National League Championship, only to lose the World Series to the Boston Red Sox. The Air Force performs about 1,000 flyovers each year to promote the service and its capabilities.

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An F-15D Eagle glides above the pristine Pacific waters near the Mariana Islands, one of just 23 D-models in the Air Force inventory. The jet was among 160 aircraft, 15,000 people, and 15 ships taking part in the joint Valiant Shield 2018 exercise in September. It was one of the largest joint exercises of the year. Photos:

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“You are not forgotten,” read the words at the bottom of the familiar black and white POW/ MIA flag. To drive that home, more than 70 airmen at Schriever AFB, Colo., ran through the night carrying the flag aloft for 30-minute intervals and logging 120 miles on Sept 19. More than 82,000 Americans remain missing from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf Wars, and other conflicts. Photos:

 DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Photos: Photo: KathrynPhoto: Calvert/USAF

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Forward Deployed By Jennifer Hlad

SrA. Christopher Leslie, 44th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, loads an AIM-9 heat-seeking missile during Kadena AB, Japan’s annual weapons load competition. Keystone of the Pacific

KADENA AFB, Japan— operations, and a key force projection platform for Indo-Pacific Command. Looking out of the 360-degree windows in the air tra ic control “The 18th Wing is a mission wing,” Commander Brig. Gen. Case tower here, there’s a clear view of the Kadena Marina and the A. Cunningham said. “There’s any number of missions that we’re East China Sea to the west, a densely populated Kadena town responsible for, [in regards to] Pacific Air Forces and Indo-PACOM. just to the north, and the city of Naha to the southwest—close Air superiority, airborne warning and control, combat search enough that Naha Airport’s airspace overlaps with Kadena’s. and rescue, and then aerial refueling are the significant ones.” To the east, beyond the trees and towns, is the Philippine Sea. Two F-15 Eagle squadrons, a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling Two F-15Cs are approaching quickly from the south side of the squadron, an E-3 AWACS airborne air control squadron, two tower as a C-130 lifts o toward the east. A helicopter is slowly rescue squadrons and an aeromedical evacuation squadron towed from its hangar. are among the 26 Air Force squadrons here. Also here: Navy P-8 Kadena, in the heart of Okinawa, Japan, is the largest US air reconnaissance and patrol aircraft; P-3 anti-submarine patrol base in the Pacific, and the sixth busiest in the Air Force world - aircraft, and fighter jets when aircraft carriers are nearby. The wide. With a typhoon bearing down on the base, things could base also serves as a divert location for the civilian airport and get busier still as leaders ponder whether to evacuate as many the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. as 100 aircraft to avoid the storm. “We have an enormous selection of aircraft,” said TSgt. Chris “When they say we’re the keystone of the Pacific, that’s no Anderson, an air tra ic control watch supervisor. lie,” said Maj. Tim Bills, the airfield operations flight commander. While local control talks to aircraft overhead, ground control Kadena is home to the 18th Wing—the largest combat wing is watching all the vehicles on the ground. Anderson can make in the Air Force—and to detachments from three other ser - on-the-spot air tra ic decisions, making him “kind of the last vices. The base is also a hub for Air Mobility Command cargo step” before an incident can happen.

 DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Kadena Air Base is a busy transit point for all the services. An 18th Wing F-15C Eagle (foreground) passes by a US Navy P-3 Orion. The Navy rotates P-3 squadrons to Kadena routinely.

“So if I’m listening to everybody, like if my ground (control) and The senior US military oicer on Okinawa is Marine Corps Lt. local (control) are doing something and one does something that Gen. Eric M. Smith, commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force he shouldn’t, I can stop it, so we don’t have a plane hitting a car and Marine Forces Japan. He is responsible for the sensitive or a plane hitting a truck, or even two planes hitting together,” political-military aairs here, which have long been a sore spot Anderson explained. with a portion of the island’s population. This is Anderson’s second tour in Okinawa, but he already had Because of the tensions and the level of activity on the airfield, several years of experience before he arrived on the island the first oicials take pains to suppress noise and minimize the impact time. A busy tower demands experienced air traic controllers. on the local community. “We have everything from the Navy, [and] the Army flying Quiet hours are strictly enforced, and only rarely are operators through, we have all the sister services come here, we have permitted to take o or land between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. the Japanese that come here, we have the Aussies that come Instead of taxiing, aircraft are towed to minimize noise; service here—anybody— NATO pretty much comes through here,” he aprons 5 and 6—the two closest to Kadena town—are kept empty. said. “That’s a big dierence, talking to dierent cultures, dif - Even routine takeos and landings are planned to reduce ferent nations.” noise, with early morning departures oriented toward the water SrA. Jessica Newman, an aircraft management shift lead, said rather than populated areas. she loves how busy the airfield is. “Kadena’s a beast,” Newman Tensions have been high since before the US and Japan signed said. “Our airfield is just so big.” a bilateral agreement in 1996 to reduce the US military presence Roughly 600 miles south of Korea, 500 miles east of China, and on Okinawa. The reduction has been slow. 950 miles southwest of Tokyo, Okinawa is a critical central hub for A plan to close Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and move it Indo-PACOM and home not just to the 18th Wing, but also to III Ma- from a heavily populated area south of Kadena to a more sparsely rine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces Japan, and four Army populated area in the northern part of the island continues to Patriot Missile batteries—a hedge against ballistic missile attack. face sti opposition, including from Okinawa’s new governor, Just 70 miles long and averaging seven miles wide, the island Denny Tamaki, who has been steadfast in his opposition to the is packed with a dozen interconnected US military bases. US military presence. “Okinawa is a joint island,” Cunningham said. “ So, all services Many bases on the island see regular protests, as Okinawans are represented here in significant fashion, and we work together complain about aircraft noise, accidents, and violent crimes as a joint team.” committed by US troops. Frequent radio commercials remind The location makes it an ideal launching pad for operations US troops that they are guests in a foreign country and that their all over the region. actions have consequences. “You take the Thailand cave rescue,” Cunningham said. “A lot Not so well-known, Cunningham says, is “how incredible the of those airmen came from Kadena. We have very special capa - community here is on Okinawa.” bilities that enabled that, but it’s also our location that enabled “I can’t overemphasize enough the importance and the strength us to respond quickly.” of the alliance that we have here with the Japan Self-Defense Likewise, with responses to the 2011 earthquake and tsunami Force and our responsibilities,” he said. in Japan, the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, and a 2013 typhoon in “They’re amazing friends, they’re amazing allies … and we work the Philippines. to continue what is already a strong relationship. We work to “All of those are opportunities for us to provide that humani - continue to strengthen that every single day,” said Cunningham. tarian assistance and disaster relief from Kadena,” Cunningham said, whether that means direct support from the 18th Wing or Jennifer Hlad is a freelance journalist based in Okinawa, Japan,

a base to support US-based operations. and a former Air Force Magazine senior editor. Photos: Bernard A1C Greg Erwin; Omari SrA.

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Aperture By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director

Boeing’s T-X trainer won the competition for USAF’s jet trainer with a $9.2 billion bid. Winning T-X, Boeing Runs the Table OCT. , During the T-X competition, all the competitors acknowledged that the trainer competition would come down to a “low-price With a trio of recent big-ticket contract wins, Boeing is back in shootout.” Margins were so low that Northrop Grumman CEO the small military-aircraft game—but with bids so far below cost Wes Bush pulled his company out of the race to concentrate on estimates that competitors are scrambling to figure out if the projects where “best value,” rather than price, was key. company low-balled its o€ers—as it did with the KC-46 tanker—or But in selecting the Boeing-Saab o€er for T-X, Air Force acqui- really does have some new manufacturing magic up its sleeve. sition chief Will Roper insisted that “best value” was indeed the The big one was the T-X advanced trainer contract, which the discriminator. He noted that the $9.2 billion total would cover as Air Force estimated at about $16 billion, but which Boeing and many as 475 aircraft, while the Air Force requirement remains just its partner, Saab of Sweden, won with a $9.2 billion bid. That’s 351 airplanes. Because the Air Force wants to “go faster” in some nearly $10 billion below estimates of just a few years ago. In fact, years when its budget will allow it to buy more T-Xs, the contract the actual total could be considerably less. was structured to allow some larger nonconsecutive lots. The Air Force also tapped Boeing to build the UH-1N helicop- Asked how the Air Force can be confident that Boeing will per- ter replacement to support missile fields and ferry around VIPs. form, given the fact that it has already eaten nearly $3.5 billion in O€ering the Leonardo MH-139, Boeing got the contract for $2.38 losses on the fixed-price KC-46 tanker program, Roper said “every billion—some $1.7 billion less than USAF was expecting to pay for program is di€erent” and is weighed “on the merits of the proposal.” up to 84 helicopters. Roper chalked up the exceptionally low bid to “early dialogue” Boeing had already scored a Navy deal to build an unmanned between the Air Force and industry to make sure competitors carrier-based aerial tanker, the MQ-25 Stingray. Valued at around were “exactly” clear on what the service wanted most, and what $13 billion, that deal is for 72 airplanes. it would and wouldn’t pay extra to get. Collectively, Boeing won up to $25 billion worth of new military “What you’re seeing is the benefit of fierce competition,” Roper aircraft business in the last weeks of the fiscal year—beating out said. principal competitor Lockheed Martin. Asked if Boeing’s “Black Diamond” proprietary manufacturing As a result, Boeing’s St. Louis facilities, where its F-15 and F/A- technology—touted as eliminating vast amounts of touch labor 18 work is winding down, will remain open and the company will and rework—clinched the deal, USAF top uniformed acquisition retain design and engineering talent specializing in small military o€icial Lt. Gen. W. Arnold Bunch Jr. said “we won’t speculate on aircraft. Boeing will thus remain a viable contender for future how industry did it.” competitions, such as the Air Force and Navy’s next-generation Roper allowed that the Air Force is required to apply “historical” air dominance combat aircraft. cost estimation techniques in developing its expected should-cost

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM on a program like the T-X, but said the competition was structured replacement, and one will be chosen in 2020 to develop and build to allow for new techniques that could drive prices lower. Industry the missiles for deployment in the late 2020s. Lockheed Martin tends to “look ahead” to new technologies, he noted—but he didn’t and Raytheon are duking it out to provide the LRSO. A winner explain what convinced the Air Force that Boeing could deliver will be chosen in 2022. at that price. Under Pentagon pressure, the Air Force is also pushing hard Darryl W. Davis, former head of Boeing’s Phantom Works ad- on several hypersonic missile programs in the near-term. Roper vanced development shop—which designed the T-X—said at the has said flight tests of the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weap- aircraft’s St. Louis rollout in 2016 that the jet had been “tailored” on (HCSW) will take place next year and that his intent is to get specifically to the Air Force’s stated requirements. Davis said the some kind of first-version hypersonic capability fielded quickly, jet was designed with minimal performance margins, and only within the next two years or so. in those parts of the envelope where the Air Force would give Lockheed Martin has much of the hypersonics work under extra credit for them. various research and development contracts, although Raytheon Lockheed Martin—considered the other leading T-X contend- is also involved, and Northrop Grumman has hinted that it has er—offered an improvement on the T-50 trainer it designed and hypersonic projects in the pipeline, as well. Boeing, which built built with Korean Aerospace Industries. Boeing was the only the X-51 demonstrator that first sustained air-breathing hyper- major airframe house to offer a clean-sheet design. sonic speeds, is at least pursuing the field with independently Coincidentally, the T-X award was announced just a week be- funded projects. fore a major interagency, interdepartmental study of the defense Into the mid-2020s, the Air Force’s headline program will be the industrial base was released by the White House. The report Next Generation Air Dominance system. Bunch and Roper told noted that the number of companies in several key industries reporters at the AFA symposium in September that the NGAD is is dwindling, hurting competition and restraining innovation. still in the experimental and investigative prototyping stage, as Boeing had made it known the St. Louis operation was in peril USAF examines a variety of solutions that will in all likelihood without a T-X win. wind up not being a single aircraft like the F-22, but a “portfolio” Roper and Bunch denied such considerations played a role approach, or “family of systems.” in the T-X decision. Citing his previous work at the Strategic Capabilities Office, The Air Force said it was not yet sure what nomenclature would Roper said quick solutions typically “start with what you have.” be applied to the new airplane. The first squadron of aircraft Air Force leaders have said unequivocally that the threat from for evaluation is due by 2023, and initial operational capability peer competitors in the 2030 time frame will mean the F-22 and should follow in 2024. F-35 must be supplemented with new capabilities. That could be a new airplane, new air-to-air missiles, cyber weapons, un- NUKES ARE NEXT manned “wingmen,” directed energy, something else or “all of The awarding of T-X means most of the Air Force’s major ac- the above,” but to be operational in 2030, a program will have quisition programs are now in place, with contractors selected to get underway soon. and development underway. What’s next? USAF must execute The Air Force has also begun to realize that its big-wing intel- the programs under contract as efficiently as possible before ligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft—such as the gearing up for a new round of modernization in the mid-2020s. E-3 AWACS and RC-135 Rivet Joint—are becoming too tempting Back in 2011, the Air Force identified its top three procurement and too vulnerable as targets in a battlespace where adversary programs—the B-21, F-35, and KC-46—saying it was willing to missiles are increasingly smart and long-ranged. The Joint STARS trade people, operations, maintenance, and other programs to cancellation is the first official acknowledgement of this reality, keep them on track. All three were deemed “existential” to the and the service will likely seek network-style successors for the service’s future. Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Boe- other platforms as well. Decisions about whether to sustain such ing, respectively, are the prime contractors on those programs. programs will come to a head in the mid-2020s, when USAF will Later, USAF added a second tier of must-have programs: re- have to decide whether to invest in major service life extensions placement for the E-8 Joint STARS, T-X, a new Combat Search and for those aircraft or pursue something new. Rescue Helicopter, and the UH-1N replacement. The Presidential Likewise, USAF knows that it has an Achilles’ heel in its Aircraft Replacement program—a new Air Force One—rounded dependency on large aerial tankers. Its ability to project power out the top eight. depends on tankers to extend the range of its smaller combat The Air Force set apart replacements for the venerable Minute- aircraft, and the tankers, too, are a tempting target with limited man ICBM and AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile; programs capabilities in self-protection. now known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and Long- The service’s strategy of recapitalizing its KC-135 and KC-10 Range Stand-Off missile, respectively. Under then-Secretary tankers with KC-46s and a “still to be determined” platform seem Deborah Lee James, the Air Force suggested that, given its heavy now to be leaning toward a stealthy tanker that can actually load of required conventional renewal, modernizing its two legs of accompany strike aircraft into enemy-defended airspace. That the strategic nuclear Triad might be something Congress should airplane, too, will be needed in the 2030-2035 time frame, so a consider separately, with a dedicated and segregated funding contract would have to be awarded in the mid-2020s to have stream. The idea went nowhere, even though the Navy secured something ready in time. such an arrangement for its Trident nuclear submarine program. Finally, the Air Force knows that its fleet of MQ-9 Reaper Those programs are now the Air Force’s top acquisition priorities. hunter-killer remotely piloted aircraft can’t survive a battlespace Lockheed Martin-Sikorsky got the CSAR helicopter contract defended by a peer adversary. Service leaders acknowledge a and Boeing took home the Air Force One contract. The Air Force stealthy successor is needed but have been mum about plans, has now officially canceled the Joint STARS replacement in favor suggesting one may already be in the works. The RQ-170 Sentinel of a still-undefined “network”’ approach with no central platform. is such an aircraft, but industry officials have said only a handful Focus will now shift to the nuclear projects. Boeing and were produced. They were intended to be special mission aircraft

Northrop Grumman are the designated finalists for the Minuteman rather than comprising operational fleets. J OfficePhoto: the of Secretary the Air Force of

DECEMBER 2018 H AIRFORCEMAG.COM 17 Verbatim [email protected] By Robert S. Dudney

Scams and Non-Scams ka), Senate Armed Services Committee uses of AI, such as in autonomous weapons “Since the 1990s, countries have report- member and critic of the concept of systems.”—From “Rise of the Machines,” ed 18 seizures of weapon-usable nuclear building a separate US space service, a study of AI by Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) material in various quantities. This included washingtonexaminer.com, Oct. 1. and Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), published several seizures of highly enriched uranium Sept. 25. in Georgia and Moldova in the 2000s. On Last Things First? at least a couple of occasions, Chechen “I think that, if there were a US Space The Bear in the Water groups in Russia ... have also tried to employ Command like there used to be, it would “Russia has renewed its capabilities in ‘dirty bombs,’ though so far unsuccessfully. obviate the need for [an independent] the North Atlantic and the Arctic, in places ... We cannot be sure how much R/N [ra- Space Force. When you have one command not seen since the Cold War. For example, diological/nuclear] material is already out focused on that area, I think it brings a focus Russian forces have recently reoccupied there on the black market. There are a great to it that’s important. I think the investment seven for their former Soviet Union bases many nuclear material scams out there, but to re-establish US Space Command makes [north of] the Arctic Circle. The improved not everything is a scam, and there have a lot of sense.”—Retired USAF Gen. Rich- capability of Russia to be able to project been enough real cases to make clear that ard B. Myers, former Commander of power into this region—and these strategic we must take this challenge very seriously US Space Command (1998-2000) and routes from the Arctic into the North Atlan- indeed.”—Asst. Secretary of State Christo- later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of tic and the GIUK [Greenland-Iceland-UK] pher A. Ford, International Security and Sta— (2001-05), interview with Aerospace Gap—is something that we need to pay Nonproliferation, speech to a nuclear America, Sept. 25. particular attention to. We know that Rus- security conference published on Oct. 1. sian submarines are in the Atlantic, testing Barriers Are Eroding our defenses, challenging our command Mephistopheles Speaketh “When Iran fires a ballistic missile from of the seas, and preparing a very complex “According to the mullahs in Tehran, we its homeland against a target in a foreign underwater battlespace to try to give them are ‘the Great Satan,’ ‘Lord of the Under- country, this means that Iran is not afraid an edge in any future conflict. We need to world,’ ‘Master of the Raging Inferno.’ So, I of the prospects of retaliation, and has deny them that edge. ... [R]ussia’s actions might imagine they would take me seriously probably calculated that it will be safe. So and capabilities increased in alarming and when I assure them today: If you cross us, we are going to a point in the Middle East, sometimes confrontational ways.”—Adm. our allies, or our partners; if you harm our very quickly, where the threshold for Iran’s James G. Foggo III, head of US Naval citizens; if you continue to lie, cheat, and use of force is continuing to drop, as the Forces in Europe, quoted in usni.org, deceive. ... Yes, there will indeed be hell to accuracy of Iran’s missiles is continuing to Oct. 3. pay.”—John Bolton, President Donald J. grow.”—Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu, Trump’s national security adviser, pre- commenting on Iran’s Oct. 1 missile strike The Fly in the Ointment pared remarks for delivery to the group into Syria, voanews.com, Oct. 2. “We are in Syria [to fight ISIS]. ... What United Against Nuclear Iran, Sept. 25. we want to do is make certain that ISIS No Verdict does not come back. ... Getting rid of the Time’s Up “It [women in infantry] is a very, very caliphate doesn’t mean you then blindly “Russia must return to compliance with tough issue. ... We have Army, Navy, Ma- say, ‘OK, we got rid of it,’ march out. ... As the INF Treaty or the US will need to respond rines, all looking at it as we speak. ... The part of this overarching problem, we have to its cavalier disregard of the treaty’s spe- close-quarters fight being what it is, ... is it to address Iran. Everywhere you go in cific limits. Make no mistake: The current a strength or a weakness to have women in the Middle East, where there’s instability, situation, with Russia in blatant violation of that circumstance? ... So few women have you will find Iran.”—Secretary of Defense this treaty, is untenable. ... We are trying to signed up along these lines, we don’t even James Mattis, remarks to reporters about bring them back into compliance. Now is have data at this time.—Clearly the jury is out when US forces might be able to leave the time. It’s gone on long enough.”—Sec- on it.”—Secretary of Defense James Mat- Syria, Sept. 24 retary of Defense James Mattis, prepared tis, remarks at Virginia Military Institute, remarks to reporters in Brussels, Oct. 4. in response to a cadet’s question about Chilly War He referred to Moscow’s pursuit of a new the wisdom of having women serve in “What [the Chinese] are waging against cruise missile banned by the 1987 Inter- infantry units, Sept. 25. us is, fundamentally, a cold war—a cold war mediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. not like we saw during the Cold War, but a No Kidding! cold war by definition. [China is] a country First Things First? “Particularly concerning is the prospect that exploits all avenues of power—licit and “Hey, let’s get the five services that we of an authoritarian country, such as Russia illicit, public and private, economic and currently have back to readiness levels or China, overtaking the United States military—to undermine the standing of [its] that the American people think we should in AI [artificial intelligence]. ... In general, rival, relative to its own standing, without have. ... Nobody thinks we’re at the readi- authoritarian regimes like Russia and Chi- resorting to conflict.”—Michael Collins, ness levels that we should be. Then, once na have not been focused on the ethical deputy assistant director of CIA East we get there, then we can talk about the implications of AI in warfare and will likely Asia and Pacific Mission Center, quoted Space Force.”—Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alas- not have guidelines against more bellicose in Stars and Stripes, Oct. 2.

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM

Air Force World CAN TYNDALL RECOVER? QUESTIONS IN NEED OF ANSWERS

By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director

Hangars once used to protect Tyndall's aircraft from the elements lie scattered across the flight line.

wo days before Hurricane Mi- Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and Vice Pres- Panama City, Tyndall has direct access chael pummeled the Florida ident Mike Pence all pledged Tyndall to valuable and expansive military panhandle with 150-mph winds, would be rebuilt. But whether Tyndall training ranges, ample runway for it was still just a tropical storm. will ever be a fully functional military its training F-22s, purpose-built F-22 TheT biggest threat then seemed to be base again or some shadow of its for- simulators, and a separate runway for the potential for a storm surge and mer self—as was the case after Hurri- target drones. flooding. cane Andrew destroyed Homestead Total damage could top $3.4 billion, Then the forecast worsened. The Air Force Base in southern Florida in based on the estimated replacement 325th Fighter Wing commander, Col. 1992—is still unknown. value in a 2018 Florida Economic Im- Brian S. Laidlaw evacuated the base, Before that future can be deter- pact Study. Damage to aircraft was also dispatching most of its aircraft and all mined, six questions must be resolved. severe: 17 F-22s were not ready to evac- but 90 base personnel, who weathered uate when the call came and had to be the storm in the base’s most hardened WHAT’S AT STAKE? left behind. Many were damaged—but structures. When it was over, even Tyndall has “probably a $2.5 bil- not so badly they couldn’t be repaired those buildings were damaged, and 95 lion-a-year economic impact,” accord- and flown off under their own power, percent of Tyndall’s 1,300 structures ing to Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and is over the weeks that followed. By Oct. were severely damaged or destroyed. responsible, in one way or another, 30, all but two had flown to JB Lang- Now comes the hard part: Deciding “for 20,000 jobs.” ley-Eustis, Va. Other aircraft were also what to do next. Sitting on an 14.5-square-mile pen- damaged. Their repair costs had not Almost instantly, local politicians, insula of coastal flatland due south of been estimated by early November, but

 DECEMBER   ★ AIRFORCEMAG.COM could easily run into tens of millions of dollars. Tyndall is home to the schoolhouse for F-22 Raptor pilots; an operation- al Raptor squadron; Air Operations Center; and extensive USAF air-to-air weapons testing and training, hosting QF-16s and other types of target drones and T-38 trainers that serve as adversar- ies for F-22s.

SHOULD TYNDALL BE REBUILT? Some argue the Air Force already Hurricane Michael made landfall as a catastrophic Category 4 in the afternoon has more base infrastructure than it of Oct. 10. The storm virtually demolished the base, causing significant structural can a ord and that closing additional damage to the majority of the base and surrounding areas. bases would benet the service and the nation. Retired Gen. Herbert J. “Hawk” Carl- without major risks, Hostage said. A 2016 Defense Department study isle, who headed Air Combat Command “It would be very hard to move the that found the Air Force had 32 percent from 2014 to 2017 and is now president F-22 training location,” Hostage said. more basing capacity than it needs. of the National Defense Industrial As- “Plus, the simulator infrastructure Consolidating to fewer installations sociation, says no. e Air Force may that’s already established there would would save billions if Congress would have bases it doesn’t need, but Tyndall be expensive to replicate somewhere permit another round of base closures. isn’t one of them. else.” But lawmakers never warmed to the “ere are too many attributes to that Tyndall has eight full-motion simu- Base Realignment and Closure process, base and that area,” Carlisle said in an lators—formidable physical structures which is designed to minimize the in- October interview. “It’s one of the places anchored to their concrete floors with uence of individual congressmen and we need. So I don’t see this as nature elaborate electronic and hydraulic also costs votes back home. doing us a favor.” support. Initial reports from the base Congress rejected that report, coun- Retired Gen. Gilmary “Mike” Hos- suggest the simulator facility was one tering that closures could preclude tage, another former ACC commander, of the few that took only minor damage future expansion plans if the Air Force said Tyndall is a unique asset that can’t in the storm. No other F-22 base boasts needed to grow. Indeed, just weeks be- be duplicated elsewhere. as many simulators. fore Tyndall was leveled, the Air Force “Tyndall is in an excellent location for As for the target drone operation, rolled out an ambitious vision to grow us, right on the edge of the Gulf” of Mex- “there’s really nowhere else to put it,” the force by 24 percent by 2030, reach- ico, where the training range lets Raptor Hostage asserted. Targets hit with live ing 386 operational squadrons in order pilot trainees y at supersonic speeds, missiles fall into the sea, minimizing to meet the demands of the National Hostage said, and missile tests can tar- the risk of debris falling on people or Security Strategy. get unpiloted drones, because there is property. Yet, will Hurricane Michael make a “relatively little populace around.” e One mission that could go else- decision for the Air Force and Congress open airspace, even though it is shared where, however, is the AOC, which that was otherwise untenable? Should with Eglin and Hurlburt, gives new F-22 is responsible for the air defense of Tyndall be abandoned? pilots maneuver room to make mistakes the United State homeland. In fact, that mission was quickly moved to an undisclosed location, US North- ern Command chief Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy said during an Oct. 10 press conference. “We have other nodes in other places where we can actually do the same command and control mission set and, seamlessly, transition.” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson promised the Tyndall AOC and its staff of 800 will be back in business by Jan. 1, 2019.

WILL TYNDALL EVER BE THE SAME? John Henderson (l), the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Near the end of his tenure at ACC, Environment, and Energy, and Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson survey Carlisle said the Air Force studied

the aftermath of Hurricane Michael from a CV-22. bases and what they might look like Photos: Sgt. Sta Alexander Henninger; Joseph Pick; SrA. SSgt. Conroy Ryan

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  An airman takes kind of remediation issues before we notes on the could turn it over to civilians.” destruction at Tyndall Oct. 14. CAN BASES BE STORM Special tactics PROOF? airmen had a Michael was the fourth major hurri- runway open for cane to make landfall in the US in less business shortly than two years and the second within after 7 p.m. Oct. 11, a month. Coming on the heels of many the day after the other “once-in-100-years storms,” hard- devastating storm. ening coastal bases is of signicant concern. in the future, in terms of amenities But Tyndall, he said, is even more Hostage said there are both physi- and support. valuable, “critically located next to cal risks and probabilities to consider. A base can be self-contained, “like one of our greatest assets,”—the Gulf True, he said, a billion dollars’ worth the old days and the way it is today,” test and training range. A member of of Raptors—USAF’s most capable and he said, “where the base includes all the Senate Armed Services Committee, short-stocked ghter—might have been the work infrastructure—the runways, he said Tyndall must be “rebuilt as a destroyed when they were left inside hangars, office space, the simulators,” modern Air Force facility.” hangars that were never intended to as well as a base exchange, commis- Rep. Neal Dunn (R), whose district withstand a Category 5 storm. sary, bowling alley, golf course, restau- encompasses Tyndall, said in a state- But investing in hardened facilities rants and housing. Or it coud be mini- ment that the storm’s destruction rep- that can withstand 150 mph winds is a mized, where the Air Force provides a resents “an opportunity for us to plan bet on the weather. “You’re spending a work facility but all those other things for the future and build a base that lot of money on a very miniscule prob- are “available right off base, so we don’t fulfills the future needs of our airmen, ability,” Hostage said. “How frequently have to pay for that.” whether that be state-of-the-art drone- would I have to take a hit to justify An in-between approach called for ready simulation buildings” or modern spending the money to save a $300 “some housing and ... more sought-af- hangars with up-to-date technology. million airplane?” ter facilities for family childcare, things “We will rebuild and come back better Few existing hangars were “meant to like that,” he said, while still not trying than ever,” he said. withstand the strength of the hurricane to replicate services available outside Nelson, Dunn, and Sen. Marco Ru- that hit [Tyndall], even though they the gate. bio (R) said in a joint letter to Wilson had hurricanes like that back in the While Tyndall is not geographically they are committed to funding the day,” Hostage said. e engineering far from nearby Hurlburt or Eglin Air base’s reconstruction, and they fol- understanding, standards, and codes Force Base, the 90-minute travel time lowed with a letter to President Donald to build stronger structures didn’t exist is not workable for routine commuting. J. Trump saying it is “imperative” the then, he said. “That’s a pretty long drive,” he said, base be repaired “as quickly as possible Today, that’s di erent. e Air Force though “people do it.” ... to protect and promote US national will not “replace imsy buildings with The full complement of airmen and security interests.” imsy buildings,” Hostage insisted. “If families at Tyndall was about 11,000 Tyndall could potentially be con- all we did was rebuild ... to modern people. For now, at least, F-22 training verted to an “expeditionary” base. But code,” Hostage said, “that would repre- is temporarily reassigned to Eglin, Hostage said slimming it down probably sent a signicant improvement” in the and a tent city has sprung up amid wouldn’t save too much money in the base’s resiliency to storms. Tyndall’s rubble, housing 1,300 con- long run. Reducing the mission or foot- “We wouldn’t be allowed to put up struction and recovery airmen on what print at Tyndall might be perceived as sheet metal-sided buildings with wood- is effectively an expeditionary site. weakening the base’s chances in future en frames” today, he said. “It wouldn’t Vice President Pence said the ob- BRAC processes, and Florida’s delega- meet any kind of code.” jective of the administration is “that tion would ght against such a move. Modern code calls for burying power, the families that serve here are able to Utimately, the only way to save large telephone, and ber-optic lines and return here as quickly as possible,” and amounts of money is to close something steel straps to help hold roof trusses that with the support of local congres- down completely, he said. Facilities not to structures—and structures to foun- sional representatives, “we‘ll have the rebuilt at Tyndall would have to be built dations. resources to rebuild Tyndall.” at a neighboring base, “so, once I clean Too much of the Air Force’s infra- Sen. Bill Nelson (D), who was run- o the debris at Tyndall, why wouldn’t structure is aging, and replacement and ning for a fourth term, insisted Oct. 16 I put it right back where it was?” Taking upgrade plans aren’t keeping up with that Tyndall would not su er the fate of “a little bit away ... isn’t going to save the need. “Our buildings are on a 100- Homestead Air Force Base, which was anybody anything.” plus year ret and refurbish schedule,” destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Closing Tyndall and turning it over Hostage said. “Our vehicles are on a Once slated for closure, Homestead to the local community would also 100-year schedule. And that’s really eventually was rebuilt as a Reserve base, incur cleanup and remediation costs, absurd.” regaining about 80 percent of its former Hostage said. “My guess is that there’s Hostage said it might be worth capabilities, Nelson noted. things lurking that would cause us all building some aircraft revetments in

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Air Force World the US similar to those USAF has in Tyndall's Operational Units: Status Update Europe, the Middle East, or at Kadena AB, Japan—facilities really intended ■■■ 601st Air Force Operations Center: Resume operations no later than to protect aircraft from missile attack, Jan. 1, 2019 but which would be equally useful in ■■■ 337th Air Control Squadron: Resume air battle manager training by guarding against ravaging storms. Jan. 1, 2019 (limited); full production by summer 2019 Rebuilding might not be limited ■■■ 2nd and 43rd Fighter Squadrons: F-22 and T-38 aircraft will relocate to above ground structures. Modern to Eglin AFB; pilots will use F-22 simulators at Tyndall commercial airports have eliminated ■■■ 372rd Training Squadron, Det. 4: Will relocate to Eglin AFB fuel trucks, for example. “They bury ■■■ 53rd Air-to-Air Weapons Evaluation Group: Staying at Tyndall all the fuel lines in the ramp so that all ■■■ 823rd RED HORSE Squadron, Det. 1: Staying at Tyndall they do is move a small pump around ■■■ Air Force Civil Engineer Center: Staying at Tyndall to refuel the airliners. They don’t drive ■■■ Air Force Medical Agency Support team: Staying at Tyndall fuel trucks around.” ■■■ Air Force O ce of Special Investigations and the Air Force Legal “The problem is, I have to have fuel Operations Agency: Staying at Tyndall trucks,” Hostage said. The Air Force ■■■ 95th Fighter Squadron: 21 F-22 aircraft and associated personnel will must remain expeditionary, able to be split temporarily divided up among JB Langley-Eustis, Va.; JB Elmen- pick up and operate anywhere, any- dorf-Richardson, Alaska; and JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii time, without those amenities. “I have ■■■ Noncommissioned O cer Academy: Will temporarily disperse among to have people trained to maintain McGhee-Tyson ANGB, Tenn.; Maxwell AFB—Gunter Annex, Ala.; Keesler [those trucks] and use them and drive AFB, Miss.; and Sheppard AFB, Texas them around, so that when I go to an ■■■ MQ-9 Reaper: A planned MQ-9 Reaper wing at Tyndall may have to be expeditionary location, I can move reconsidered fuel around.” So while burying fuel lines “makes good sense from a local standpoint,” C-5 Galaxies or driven out on flatbed that haven’t been on track.” The Pen- it may not be a full-fledged solution. trailers. But dismantling aircraft is not tagon can divert funding from those Still, “I think that’s one of the things an overnight job. The bigger issue: to more pressing needs like those at we should look at,” Hostage added. Ongoing maintenance problems and Tyndall. Either way, the Air Force will nev- parts' shortages. With a mission-ca- It will have to be, Hostage said. “If er be able to afford to eliminate all pable rate under 50 percent, it was you don’t get money to fix Tyndall risk, Carlisle said. ”You’ve got to be arguably a triumph that so many F-22s over and above the current budget ... judicious and [use] due diligence for did make it out—and so few had to be maybe we find a different place to do what potential things can happen to left behind. business and close it.” you.” At Tyndall, he said, the Air Force “You’re never going to get 100 per- The magnitude of the task can’t be will certainly “use all those lessons cent of your airframes,” Hostage said. appreciated unless lawmakers make learned over time and try to minimize “There’s always some airplanes that the trip and see the scope of the dam- the risk and only accept what we ab- are non-flyable. So we put them in age themselves. solutely have to.” the sturdiest of hangars, put them in It’s not just a matter of rebuilding. That includes considering what na- the sections of the hangars that are It’s also a matter of taking care of ture may dish out in the future. “The least likely to fall down. But when the people, he said. “How do you reinte- most probable natural disasters, he hurricane scores a bull’s-eye, there’s grate all those families that have been said, must “be part of the calculus as only so much protection you can do.” devastated, all those homes? All the you plan and put money into those base housing has been pretty much facilities.” WILL CONGRESS PAY? destroyed. … How do you rebuild their  Saving Tyndall is not a question lives, while trying to get that mission WHAT DID WE LEARN? for the Air Force alone. Service leaders back up to 100 percent as soon as  Tyndall already had a detailed will get a vote, but the real battle will possible?” plan to evacuate its thousands of air- take place in Congress. The Air Force “can’t be made to men, family members, and aircraft in “Politics is politics,” Carlisle said. pull it out of hide,” Hostage said. “I’m the event of a major hurricane—and While the Florida congressional del- very worried that somebody is going it worked. Chief of Staff Gen. David egation will lobby for the funds, rival to suggest that they do” and leave L. Goldfein said the plan was not priorities both inside and outside the the Air Force to “limp along trying to only well thought out, but had been Department of Defense are also vying Band-Aid things while hoping that “exercised” in the recent past. for funds. Tyndall will not return to someone will finally give the funding The proof of that it worked: No lives form without supplemental appro- to do it right.” were lost. “Things can be replaced,” he priation. It will take at least a year to sort all said. “People can’t.” The biggest source of funds will “be that out and know what the future The Air Force took heavy criticism some help from money outside the holds, Hostage said. Tyndall will hang for having left so many aircraft behind. defense budget,” Carlisle predicted. in the balance at least that long. For Some armchair generals opined that “Then I think there will be, as there is now, the questions are clear. Answers

F-22s could have been loaded into all the time, unexecutable programs will come only in time. J Photos: Welch TSgt. Sandra

DECEMBER  AIRFORCEMAG.COM  UNWINDING THE MAINTAINER MESS A problem years in the making continues—especially in the Guard and Reserve. By Brian W. Everstine, Pentagon Editor

he Air Force finally fixed its maintainer shortage this year, closing a gap that had grown to 4,000—6 per- cent of requirements—as recently as two years ago. Now the service needs to deal with the maintainer knowledge gap. Getting back to a full complement of 67,000 maintainersT is only the first leg in a years-long trek to solve the problem. That’s because the shortfall was made up almost entirely by recruiting new maintainers, rather than retaining experienced mechanics—and also because major deficits persist in the Guard and Reserve. As Fiscal 2018 ended, the Air Force was still 3,000 short of requirements for 5-level journeyman maintainers and 650 short for 7-level craftsmen. There is also a surplus of 2,900 among

SrA. Eric Hansard climbs into an F-35 at Westover ARB, Mass., in July. The new fleet of F-35s and the need to retrain people contributed to the maintainer shortage.

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Maintainers stow a power cable on a C-17. Funding to grow the maintainer force was finally approved in 2017.

cuts, that hit the service hard. From 2004 to 2015, the service’s Active Duty maintenance force shrank by 17,000 airmen, or 21 percent, bringing USAF maintenance levels to their lowest point in more than 20 years. Meanwhile, the war against ISIS ramped up and USAF began deploying more airmen to Afghanistan. An aging eet and the introduction of a whole new aircraft made everything worse. e Air Force hired Lockheed Martin to provide much of its initial F-35 main- tenance capability because its original plan to retire the A-10 and retrain its maintainers to service F-35s didn’t pass muster in Congress. A1C Nathan Manzella (l) and SrA. Shayne Cole read a tech order at Moody AFB, It wasn’t until 2017 that lawmakers Ga. Some hope digital technology will speed the learning curve. finally came through with additional funding to grow the maintainer force. 3-level apprentice maintainers. years, but there are also steps that are And while USAF has now made up The result is an “experience gap” making differences right now. We see the shortfall by recruiting more can- that will take years to solve. It takes them when we visit you.” didates and ramping up throughput more than a year for an apprentice “Airmen are hitting the flight line,” at its maintenance schools, the long to mature to journeyman, and years said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Da- process of maturing that force still more to gain enough experience to vid L. Goldfein in an interview last lies ahead. be rated as a craftsman. summer. “The challenge we have is, However, the new airmen are be- Addressing airmen at AFA’s Air, they’re young.” coming “more experienced every Space & Cyber Conference, Air Force day,” said Air Mobility Command Secretary Heather Wilson said, “As a CONTRIBUTING FACTORS boss Gen. Maryanne Miller, shortly result of the actions all of you have The causes of the maintainer short- after taking command in September. taken, the Air Force is more ready age include funding inadequacies, the One of the first things she did was for major combat operations today need to retrain maintainers as the F-35 visit new airmen on AMC flight lines. than we were two years ago.” The Air entered the fleet, and Air Force plans While inexperience is a short-term Force, she said, is “moving the whole that didn’t work out. problem, she said, she is excited by force to higher levels of readiness with Congressional inaction in 2013 led the prospect of new airmen, raised

actions that will play out over several to sequestration, or automatic budget on technology, bringing new ideas to Oliver Photos: Thompson; Olsen; SSgt. A1C Eugene MSgt. Mark Peter

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Maintainers service an F-15 Eagle at Kadena AFB, Japan. As end strength suered under sequestration, ops tempo boomed, and the maintainance field was hit hard. solving old problems. Miller said she encouraged young maintainers to oer innovative ideas for the command in the hope that not only will they oer new thinking, but that having been given that chance, they will feel more vested in the mission and more willing to stay in uniform.

ANG AND AFRC CHALLENGES The maintainer shortage in the Guard and Reserve won’t be solved as quickly. The Guard was short 3,823 main- tainers as of mid-October—some 15 percent of its total maintainer force. One major reason: The Active Duty controls the accessioning of their recruits and doubled their number A1C Lisha West removes a panel on an A-10. Active Duty retention bonuses of recruits to address its shortfall. The reduce the Guard and Reserve recruiting pool. ripple effect has impacted the Guard. “The Guard is dependent on the To make up the shortfall, the Guard “We struggled with the maintainer Active Duty for those same seats in ba- has increased funding to pay for al- piece because, as the economy im- sic training and their career training,” most 1,300 full-time civilian maintain- proves, there are a lot of job opportu- said Air National Guard spokesman ers and added second-shift mainte- nities out there,” he said. Capt. Matthew Murphy. “The Active nance at seven of its F-16 units. “We have to season our young air- Duty has also offered retention bo- Meanwhile, Air Force Reserve Com- men and get them to be craftsmen at nuses and other incentives to have mand was shy about 1,400 maintainers their work,” Wilson told the Senate maintainers serve longer. This reduces in 2017 and still had more than 1,000 Armed Services Readiness Subcom- the recruiting pool for the Guard and openings at the close of Fiscal 2018, mittee recently. “But at least now, we Reserve because they are staying [on according to Air Force Reserve chief have enough people there to do the

Active Duty] longer.” Lt. Gen. Richard W. Scobee. maintenance that needs to be done.” J Oliver A1C Eugene Anazawa/USAF; Naoto Photo:

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Air Force World

■ Helo Struck Cable, Causing Fatal March Crash in Iraq The HH-60G Pave Hawk that crashed in March, killing all seven on board, struck a galvanized steel cable, bringing it down onto the Iraqi desert, the Air Force announced. The HH-60G, assigned to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, was flying alongside another Pave Hawk during the night of March 15. The helicopter crews were tasked with prepositioning at a base that would bring them closer to an upcoming operation. During the flight, the Pave Hawk over- flew its intended destination because the aircraft’s pilot misinterpreted aircraft navigation displays, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investiga- tion Board report recently released. As a An HH-60 Pave Hawk crew trains to provide personnel recovery operations and result, the helicopter descended into an support. A USAF Pave Hawk operating in Ukraine catastrophically crashed after unplanned location and turned to avoid the pilot misinterpreted navigation displays. a tower, but struck an unseen 3/8-inch diameter galvanized steel cable that was quick-reaction force of pararescuemen in Port JeŸerson Station, N.Y., also an HH-60G strung horizontally between two 341-foot another HH-60G to secure the site. special missions aviation flight engineer. high towers. The crash killed four airmen from the Two of the airmen killed were Air Force The cable entangled itself in the HH- New York Air National Guard’s 106th Res- Reserve pararescuemen from the 308th 60G’s main rotor assembly, resulting in cue Wing: Capt. Christopher Zanetis, 37, Rescue Squadron at Patrick AFB, Fla. They “catastrophic damage and an unflyable an HH-60G pilot from Long Island City, are MSgt. William Posch, 36, and SSgt. condition.” The aircraft was traveling so N.Y.; Capt. Andreas O’KeeŸe, 37, a Pave Carl Enis, 31. Also killed was Capt. Mark fast, the impact was not survivable and Hawk pilot from Center Moriches, N.Y.; Weber, a combat rescue oŸicer with the debris scattered a large area of the desert, MSgt. Christopher Raguso, 39, a resident 38th Rescue Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga. according to the report. of Commack, N.Y., an HH-60G special The helicopter, tail No. 92-6466, was The other Pave Hawk saw the light of missions aviation flight engineer; and completely destroyed at a loss of $49 the crash and circled back, calling for a SSgt. Dashan Briggs, 30, a resident of million.

■ No KC-46 Delivery in October The Air Force did not receive its first KC-46 in October as originally expected, while the program office and Boeing are still working to address five “category one” deficiencies that still need to be remedied, Gen. Maryanne Miller, the head of Air Mobility Command, said Oct. 26. The original deadline of 0ctober has passed, but Boeing said it still plans to deliver the aircraft by the end of the year.

■ Shanahan: Space Force De- tails Coming Soon The Defense Department must sub - Whither Pegasus? Boeing still plans on delivering aircraft by the end of this year. mit its plan to Congress in December detailing what it thinks the new Space estimate that it will cost $13 billion to When asked what the new service will Force should look like and how much establish the new service over the next look like, how the personnel will be it will cost to create the service, said five years, but he urged reporters to “put transitioned, and whether there will be Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Sha - that number aside” and wait until details a Space Guard, for example, Shanahan

nahan. He acknowledged the Air Force’s of the Fiscal 2020 budget are released. said, “I don’t know.” Photos: SSgt. SMSgt. Keither Chirs Okula/USAF; Drudge James; Christopher

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Air Force World

■ AETC Fires Three Commanders at Laughlin ■ Military Intelligence Gets Big Three commanders at a main flying failed to appropriately care for people and Boost With Return to Great Pow- training wing were fired after investigations the mission,” Kwast said in the release. “They er Competition into chronic leadership failures, Air Educa- failed to correct an evolving situation that The Defense Department is spending tion and Training Command announced led to an environment where some airmen billions more on classified intelligence on Oct. 30. did not feel safe or respected.” programs, with the most recent numbers Col. Charles Velino, commander of the AETC did not detail the specific actions, representing the biggest spike in years. In 47th Flying Training Wing at Laughlin AFB, but stated that the commanders did not take Fiscal 2018, Congress appropriated $22.1 Texas, along with the operations group appropriate steps to respond to, correct, billion for military intelligence—that’s commander and a flying training squadron and report incidents of o™icer misconduct. a $3.7 billion increase from Fiscal 2017 commander at the base were relieved by Some reports allege the incidents include appropriated funds and $1.4 billion more Air Education and Training Commander a female pilot being given a vulgar name than what was originally requested in Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast after a review and during a drinking ritual and another case Fiscal 2018. The ramp-up in classified recommendation from the commander of involving a threat. funding comes amid a return to “great 19th Air Force, according to an AETC press The command change comes as the Air power competition,” as outlined in the release. Force’s flying training wings face repeated most recent National Security Strategy. Col. Lee Gentile, formerly the commander incidents of hypoxia-related events and Chief of Sta™ Gen. Joseph F. Dunford told of the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance crashes involving T-6 and T-38 aircraft, military reporters last week that, “Our AFB, Okla., has assumed command of the including a November crash of a Talon from competitive advantage has eroded over wing. Laughlin that killed one pilot and injured time, and that needs to be dealt with.” “The prior command team chronically another.

■ USAF Airlift Plan Calls for Increase in C-17s, Reduction in C-130s ■ The War on Terrorism Air Mobility Command is still trying anne Miller told reporters previously. Casualties: to figure out exactly how it will increase The plan is largely based on classified As of Oct. 29., a total of 56 Ameri - the number of its C-17 squadrons while information, so the Air Force’s reasoning cans had died in Operation Freedom’s simultaneously looking to reduce the for why it would need the larger C-17 isn’t Sentinel in Afghanistan, and 69 Amer- size of its C-130 fleet. The Air Force at public. However, Air Mobility Command icans had died in Operation Inherent AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in is finalizing a mobility capabilities study Resolve in Iraq and Syria. September outlined its plan to grow the for its future needs, which is in coordi - The total includes 121 troops and number of total squadrons to 386, which nation with the Pentagon and Congress four Department of Defense civilians. included a large increase for Air Mobility and will be released in the near future. Of these deaths, 53 were killed in Command airlift and aerial refueling The Air Force cannot, right now, say action with the enemy while 72 died squadrons. how any potential jump in the C-17 fleet in noncombat incidents. The “Air Force We Need” calls for more would be possible because the Boeing There have been 346 troops airlift, but only with C-17s. Specifically, the production line for C-17s has closed. wounded in action during OFS and Air Force wants an increase of three C-17 Those details “we have not looked at,” 75 troops in OIR. squadrons, with a corresponding drop of and would be the focus of future dis - two C-130J squadrons. USAF studies have cussions with Congress. The “Air Force shown the strategic airlifter is in higher We Need” plan is an “initial stage” to get Then-Capt. Seth Nehring in the cockpit demand for potential future conflicts than the concept out there, and more in-depth of an F-16. the tactical C-130, AMC boss Gen. Mary - discussions are forthcoming, Miller said.

■ California Guardsman Killed in Su-27 Crash Lt. Col. Seth “Jethro” Nehring, 44, of Fresno, Calif., died Oct. 16 in an Su-27 crash during the Clear Sky 2018 exercise in Ukraine. Nehring, a California Air National Guardsman, was assigned to the 194th Fighter Squadron, 144th Fighter Wing. He was deployed to Ukraine in support of the Clear Sky 2018 exercise, and he was riding in a single-aircraft familiarization flight with a Ukrainian pilot when the aircraft crashed at about 5 p.m. local time in the Khmelnytski region of Ukraine, according to statements from US Air Forces in Europe and the California governor’s o™ice. “This is a sad day for the United States and Ukraine,” said Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison, California National Guard commander and Clear Sky 2018 exercise director, in a news release. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends and fellow airmen of both the US airman and Ukrainian aviator who were killed in the incident.” The exercise is a large multinational exercise involving about 950 personnel from nine countries, according to USAFE. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the California National Guard and Ukraine. Both US and Ukrainian governments are investigating the crash. Photo: SMSgt.Photo: Chirs Drudge

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MERCER Misc.: N/A A KC-135 from the 100th Air Refueling Wing at RAF Mildenhall, UK, tops o an F-15 from nearby RAF Lakenheath, UK. DETERRENCE IN EUROPE USAF is pre-positioning base supplies and materiel throughout the European Theater.

By Amy McCullough, News Editor July. Originally called the “European It includes the heavy equipment need- Reassurance Initiative” and intended ed to build ramps and runways. It also merica is ramping up de- to bolster allies on NATO’s Eastern ank includes war reserve materiel, which fense investments in Europe, after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the was largely depleted after US forces quadrupling spending on eort has since expanded. drew down following the Cold War due the European Deterrence eater Security Packages (TSPs) and to ongoing operations in US Central Initiative from about $1 bil- training deployments are increasing. Command and in Africa. lion in 2014 to $4.8 billion In 2018, the Air Force alone will invest e objective is to ensure USAF can inA 2018. Another major boost is coming about $1 billion—$800 million of it quickly respond if a “near-peer adver- in 2019. for prepositioning materiel throughout sary, like Russia, throws a lot of forces For the Air Force, the initiative means theater. into theater,” Harris said. “ere is a “a little more of a permanent posture in e European Contingency Air Oper- capacity constraint to strategic airlift. some of the forward locations,” Melvin ations Set (ECAOS) is essentially a “base You can only get so much on a C-17, and Harris, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forc- in a box,” and it includes everything if we can preposition that equipment es Africa European Deterrence Initiative necessary to rapidly generate sorties in theater, it postures us right for [a] (EDI) chief, told Air Force Magazine in and establish air superiority in a crisis. contingency.”

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM tion storage facilities in Lithuania; a hangar and extended parking aprons in Romania; and airfield upgrades in Hungary, Iceland, and Slovakia,” said Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander of USAFE-AFAFRICA. “These projects help us enhance the infrastructure in forward operating locations that we utilize with our partner nations. Ulti- mately, they let us achieve our goal of developing more resiliency, and thus, enhancing our readiness.” One example: the runway upgrade at Lask AB, Poland. The base is home to the 52nd Operation Group’s Det. 1—a group of just 10 USAF airmen with a wide range of specialties who Airmen deploy a “base in a box” in Poland during an exercise in late July. The Deployable are tasked with hosting four aviation Air Base System is a new concept for USAF. detachments per year—two F-16 and two C-130 rotations. Of the $800 million set aside for for Europe. “It becomes very dicult “ ey are reconstructing the runway ECAOS, roughly 40 percent will fund de- for commanders to prioritize medical so it’s more compatible” with USAF ployable air base systems (DABS) facili- ahead of bombs, beans, and bullets. You F-16s, said Lt. Col. Beau Diers, 555th ties, equipment, and vehicles. ese are have to ght the war before you gure Fighter Squadron commander, in an very large kits that include everything out how to deal with the consequences.” interview at his unit at Aviano AB, Ita- from riot-control gear for security forces e kits should help mitigate those risks. ly. USAF F-16s had diculty stopping to fuel trucks to mess tents. Alternative- Sites for the equipment were selected when the old runway was wet, so sorties ly, they have specialized hospital tents based on how accessible they were by often were cancelled under such con- in which expeditionary medical person- rail, road, or air. ditions. Polish F-16s, by contrast, are nel can conduct surgery, if necessary. “We’ve learned there could be over- outtted with parachutes to help them Harris said “multiple DABS sets” loading issues in the system,” said Murf- stop, added Diers, whose squadron last will be prepositioned at “regionalized in. “If a single semitrailer turned over conducted an aviation rotation to Po- locations” throughout the theater, not- on a highway, the whole Baltic region” land in June 2017. At the time, “about a ing that transporting a single kit could be aected for days. So quarter of the sorties had to be scrapped would take about 100 C-17s. “multimodal” access is critical. for wet weather,” he said. Maj. Benjamin Murn, US- e Air Force started plan- EDI foots the bill for “about 20 per- AFE-AFAFRICA’s EDI interna- ning for the prepositioning in cent of the rotations we see,” said Det. tional logistics planner, said the 2014 and has already started 1 commander Lt. Col. James Busch. kits not only allow the Air Force procuring the kits, Murn said. Sequestration had been a “huge limiting to establish an aireld, but also “By 2024, the goal is to have all factor for getting people and stu” to provides all the supplies needed the kits in place.” Poland for “training and interopera- to generate sorties for the rst Gen. Tod Wolters, e service declined to de- bility,” but EDI was a big “boost to the 30 days of an operation. Beyond head of USAFE. tail the exact number or loca- baseline budget,” and that translates that, he said, the service would tion of kits, citing operational into increased presence. have to call for backup. security concerns, but EDI funds are e 52nd Fighter Wing at Spang- “When you look at EDI, the main being used to expand the Air Force’s dahlem AB, Germany, was able to de- purpose of it is to back our allies and War Readiness Materiel storage facility ploy 300 airmen and 18 F-16s to Poland strengthen our posture in response to in Luxembourg. Lt. Col. Gregory Orbino, in June—signicantly more than the enemy aggression,” Murn said. “We’ve USAFE-AFAFRICA deputy branch chief 110 personnel and six Fighting Falcons come up with requirements to form for Europe, said the facility will serve as the wing deployed to the country in each DABS kit based on what dierent the “collection point” for DABS kits as September 2017. functional areas we need to set up an they move through theater and as the While there, the F-16s ew with their aireld.” “rst test case” for prepositioned assets. Polish counterparts and supported both e kits do not include weapons, but Orbino, who oversees the construc- the Navy-led BALTOPS and the US do include munitions handling equip- tion portfolio for Europe, said design European Command-led Saber Strike ment. Most also include Joint Light work is slated to begin this year on exercises. Tactical Vehicles, re trucks, crash and the site, to be followed shortly by con- e two exercises included “40-plus rescue vehicles, forklifts, fuel support struction. ships, 18,000 troops, and a host of air- equipment, fuel trucks, and fuel pumps, men of varying nationalities. It was as well as runway repair gear and med- EXPANDING THE SCOPE really a demonstration of what NATO ical equipment. USAFE also is using EDI funds to can do in the largest concentration “We want to save as many lives as we strengthen its presence in other lo- of forces since the Cold War. It was a can,” said Maj. Matthew Kesti, USAFE cations. “EDI funding has allowed us pretty impressive display,” Col. Jason

chief of medical plans and operations to complete projects such as muni- E. Bailey, commander of the 52nd FW, Photos: McCullough/sta ; Amy Andy Morataya/USAF

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  A-10s on the line weathering a deluge at Lask AB, Poland, before a Theater Security Package deployment. told Air Force Magazine during a visit Twelve A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and Packages and other forward deployed to Spangdahlem. about 300 airmen from the 355th Fighter forces, Bailey said. “We’ve done that in But, the increased presence does Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., the past from F-22s to A-10s to F-15Cs, more than just send a strategic mes- marked the rst European TSP when and we’re actually putting in specic sage to potential adversaries. they deployed to Spangdahlem in Feb- infrastructure here that enables us to Bailey said he recently took his wife ruary 2015. Since then, the 52nd Fighter be postured for fth generation inte- and kids on vacation in Poland, where Wing at Spangdahlem has regularly gration.” they stopped to visit with the USAF hosted TSPs of both fourth and fth gen- USAFE has allocated several mil- detachments there. “Communities are eration aircraft, including F-15C Eagles lion dollars of EDI funds to upgrade an integral part of what we do. When from the Florida Air National Guard’s existing structures at Spangdahlem you think of it from a NATO perspective, 159th Fighter Wing, which arrived at and to build some new ones speci- that’s part of that presence that allows Campia Turzii, Romania, in late June. cally designed to accommodate the us to really connect and be an import- “This gives us the opportunity to F-22 as it rotates through theater. at ant partner. It’s really tough to put into train together so in the future we will includes $18 million to build a new words when you get a good bear hug be better prepared to handle any se- low-observables composite repair fa- from the mayor of the base,” he said, curity ... or humanitarian challenges cility; a 25,000-square-foot hangar that noting the same mayor also “came over that may come up, particularly with the will allow maintainers to x the stealth to our house for anksgiving last year.” relationship that we establish over our surfaces and structures of F-22s. e at trust, he said, and the under- time here,” said Lt. Col. George Downs, facility will include one bay with room standing of how the two countries’ 159th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron for a 14-person administrative sta, militaries operate, already exists thanks commander, in a USAF release. “It also paint tools, and other specialized gear. to the regular rotations through Poland, gives us an opportunity to exercise Another $2.7 million of EDI funds will so if a contingency erupted the two going to a location we might not be go toward the upgrade of seven existing forces could work together seamlessly familiar with.” third-generation shelters to accommo- on Day 1. Shortly after Air Force Magazine’s vis- date the F-22 it, and around the same time the Guard “ e ability to reassure our allies re- THEATER SECURITY Eagles were deployed to Romania, a quires us to have a presence in Europe, Perhaps the most high-prole EDI squadron of F-22 Raptors from the 95th and this will increase our ability to have activity, however, are the eater Se- Fighter Squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla., a modern aircraft presence that can curity Packages that rotate through deployed to Spangdahlem for a multi- be supported in the theater,” said Lt. the theater for varying lengths of time week ying training deployment, which Col. Gregory Mayer, commander of the several times a year. was funded in part by the EDI. 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron at Spang- “We’re looking for activities to be While in theater, the Raptors de- dahlem, when asked why USAFE was conducted within USAFE that meet ployed to Orland AB, Norway, where dedicating funds to highly specialized US [European Command] objectives they ew alongside Royal Norwegian facilities for rotational forces. from ... deterring any regional actors air force F-35As, and to Albacete, Spain, Also over the summer, more than a to assuring our allies that our presence where they ew with Spanish Euroght- dozen F-15C/D Eagles and some 280 here is supportive of their security and er Typhoons. airmen from the 48th Fighter Wing stability within various treaties and oth- Bailey, the 52nd FW commander, at RAF Lakenheath, UK, deployed to er agreements we have with partners,” said part of the wing’s ability to provide Keflavik AB, Iceland. Four of the air- said Lt. Col. Robert Risko, the A3 EDI full-spectrum airpower to the European craft, which are assigned to the 493rd program manager for USAFE. and African theaters comes from its Fighter Squadron, supported the Ice- Although the Air Force has been ability to “receive, support, operate, landic air policing mission while the conducting TSPs in the Pacic since and integrate forward deployed forces.” remaining Eagles conducted training 2004, it wasn’t until the then-European Spangdahlem—once home to three in the region. Reassurance Initiative funds became ghter squadrons—now has just one, During the nearly month-long de- available that the service began ro- the 480th, which ies F-16 Fighting ployment to Iceland, the F-15s “ew tating similar forces to the European Falcons. at means, “we now have the 238 sorties accumulating more than continent. real estate” to support eater Security 400 ying hours,” 70 of which simulated

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM R L, E—

USAFE Holds First-Ever Combat Ammunition Production Exercise

RAF LAKENHEATH, UK— Airmen load One clear sign the Air Force is live munitions ramping up readiness in Europe: its during the first-ever in-theater Combat Ammu- first-ever nition Production Exercise. in-theater July’s CAPEX saw dozens of To- Combat tal Force airmen from Lakenheath; Ammunition Aviano AB, Italy; Spangdahlem AB, Production Germany; Ramstein AB, Germany; Exercise RAF Alconbury, UK; Beale AFB, Ca- at RAF lif.; and Little Rock AFB, Ark., show Lakenheath, up here to build, transport, and UK. tear down as many as 1,000 live munitions. Supported by European “Most people train like they fight,” flight chief with the 48th Munitions Deterrence Initiative funds, the ex- said Maj. Dan Connors, commander Squadron and lead planner of the ercise gave airmen direct experience of the 48th Munitions Squadron. ... If exercise. The exercise not only tested with live joint air-to-surface standoff you’re on the flight line, you launch airmen’s technical ability to build missiles, air-to-air missiles, joint di- and recover jets, whether it’s training bombs, but also helped identify rect attack munitions, laser-guided or war. In munitions, it’s way differ- where the squadron needs more bombs, and small diameter bombs. ent muscle movements and muscle support and/or resources from high- The exercise was a significant de- memory you need from routine sup- er headquarters. parture from day-to-day operations, port to full combat operations.” USAFE hopes to rotate future in which mostly inert munitions are Without CAPEX, the only chance CAPEX events through other bases used. Although not intentionally Lakenheath airmen had to work with in Europe, Cain said, much the way planned this way, it also coincid- live munitions was during training Pacific Air Forces does. ed with F-15 surge operations at at the Air Force Combat Ammuni- “We have a youth movement in the base, more closely simulating tions Center at Beale or when they the Air Force—as we’re growing,” real-world combat operations. As deployed (or prepared to deploy). said Connors. “There is no better teams built the weapons and loaded “At the strategic level in USAFE, way to get a massive amount of them onto vehicles to transport to they saw a need for us to show our training than the baptism they get quality check, F-15E Strike Eagles capabilities in this part of the world,” through CAPEX here. They get full consistently roared overhead. said SMSgt. Dan Cain, production immersion.” an alert situation, according to an Air space, but they have also intercepted a are slated to arrive. What happens to the Force release. helicopter and some cargo aircraft, said F-15Cs after that isn’t clear. None of these initiatives would have Lt. Col. Cody Blake, commander of the “Sure, guys here talk about the uncer- been possible without EDI funds. 493rd Fighter Squadron. ere is always tainty of the squadron. ‘Are we staying at Faced with the sti budget cuts de- that initial adrenaline rush when the RAF Lakenheath, or will they move us?’” manded by sequestration in 2013, the Air horn sounds because the pilots never said Blake. “If this [squadron] goes away, Force had decided to withdraw its RAF know exactly what they might face, Blake then you just have two Active Duty F-15C Lakenheath, UK-based Eagles; the only said. Most encounters are professional, squadrons [in the Air Force] and that F-15C squadron in Europe. At the time, though, and pilots quickly settle into drastically reduces the options.” it was believed the eventual beddown of their routine of identifying the type of What EDI all boils down to, said Gen- F-35As at Lakenheath would o set the aircraft and sending any other perti- eral Wolters, is improving the readiness risk of losing the air-to-air capability the nent information—such as tail numbers, of USAFE forces. Eagles brought to theater. en, Russia number of aircraft, and weapons load— “It’s matured the operating environ- invaded Ukraine and USAF decided to to NATO controllers. ment, so when crews conduct missions, keep the F-15Cs at Lakenheath. “We get close enough [that] we can exercises, and training events on the e Eagles are deployed frequently see the pilots,” said Blake, who noted that European continent, they leave those and regularly participate in air polic- “some guys are super friendly, waving exercises with a higher state of readi- ing missions—both in Iceland and in back and taking seles, while other guys ness than when they started,” he told the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and were … just going to do their mission and Air Force Magazine during an interview Lithuania—where they remain on call 24 wouldn’t look at you.” at the 2018 Royal International Air hours a day, seven days a week during Despite its demanding operational Tattoo in England, the world’s largest the deployment. tempo, the squadron’s funding ran out military air show. “ose EDI funds In the Baltics, Eagles on alert must in Fiscal 2017, so the Air Force decided also have matured the infrastructure be airborne within 15 minutes if the to use EDI money to fully fund it and to a point where crews can operate in claxon sounds. ey mostly intercept keep it operating at Lakenheath through challenging environments e ectively

Russian ghters that cross Baltic air- Fiscal 2022, one year after the rst F-35As and eciently.” J McCullough/sta Photos: Amy Ruano; SSgt. Christopher

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  SAFETY FIRST After the stand-down, more focus on readiness.

With the recent trend of deadly aircraft crashes, safety must become a No. 1 priority. This WC-130H from the Puerto Rico ANG crashed near Savannah, Ga., last May, killing nine.

By Brian W. Everstine, Pentagon Editor rattled the service: Defense Secretary ■■■ Not enough time to train on basic Jim Mattis sounded the alarm over ying; on icting priorities and its ghter aircraft readiness. Disturbed ■■■ Pressure to accept risk due to a own can-do ethos are chal- by mission-capable rates of just 49 cultural insistence to always execute lenging Air Force leaders percent for F-22s in 2017—and only the mission; to improve mission read- slightly better at 55 percent for F-35s— ■■■ Decreased aircraft availability; and iness without compromis- Mattis ordered the Air Force and Navy ■■■ Complacency while performing ing safety. to solve the problem. He wants rates routine tasks. CA rash of accidents last winter and to hit 80 percent as soon as possible. Now the situation is getting worse. spring drove Chief of Sta Gen. David So, once again, the pressure to exe- More than a dozen F-22s were dam- L. Goldfein to order a eetwide stand- cute and the need for more downtime aged when Hurricane Michael tore down. Commands used that time to dig are in a head-to-head competition. through Tyndall AFB, Fla., in October; into safety and operational concerns, Based on data collected from indi- while the Air Force was able to y at concluding that ops tempo, stress, and vidual ying wings during the force- least 30 F-22s out of Tyndall to safety, a cultural aversion to ever say “no” had wide, day-long safety stand-downs, the the remaining jets could not be made helped to increase stress and under- September report found maintainers ightworthy in time—a real-world il- mine the safety culture. and aircrew believed their units suf- lustration of the airplanes’ troubled Yet no sooner had commands start- fered from: availability. Meanwhile, the Air Force ed talking of adding “white space” to ■■■ Stress resulting from a high oper- also continues to struggle with a pilot pilots’ schedules, than a new challenge ations tempo; shortage, along with a parallel shortage

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM CSAF Gen. David Goldfein directed a one-day operational safety review in May. Airmen at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., got instructions on how to safely arm a weapons system on an F-15E Strike Eagle during the review.

“e Air Force will have to keep Maintainers and pilots sat side by side much of its existing force structure for to discuss issues they thought contrib- decades to come,” said John H. Pendle- uted to mishaps, with most of the dis- ton, director of defense capabilities and cussions focusing on similar themes. management at the GAO, in an Oct. 10 “e review proved tremendously Senate Armed Services Readiness and helpful as we continue to see both Management Support Subcommittee high levels of safety with intense and hearing. “e priority needs to be re- realistic training,” Goldfein said. “As building the readiness of the existing air superiority is not an American eets certainly in the near-term.” birthright, our training must continue Pendleton said the Air Force has a to be challenging and meaningful. But steep climb ahead, but is making prog- I also want commanders to have the ress. “ey have taken several steps in decision authority to determine how the right direction,” he said. “Now it’s far to push.” a matter of achieving results. Recovery e stand-down included specic won’t be easy or fast. It took a quarter- topics for discussion and deadlines century for the Air Force to get here, so for conducting the safety review, but it may take a while to recover.” did not include an action plan for fol- of experienced maintainers. While low-up. Wings and major commands overall maintainer numbers have im- PACE OF OPERATIONS weren’t required to report specific proved, it will take years to build back Goldfein ordered ying wings to ndings or explain planned changes, lost experience. take a one-day ying “stand-down” and no formal compilation of results In an October report, the Govern- in the spring to discuss, review, and was released. ment Accountability O ce cited the emphasize safety after a deadly series For Air Mobility Command, the dis- way the Air Force organizes its F-22s of accidents in 2017 and 2018 killed cussion was “invaluable” because air- and trains Raptor pilots as contributing dozens of airmen and raised concerns men appreciated commanders “sitting to the jets’ low mission-capable rates. that military aviation was in crisis. down and having the conversation” on e report also found problems with e stand-down helped bring a safety and the operations tempo they Air Force F-35s, which it said suer renewed focus on the culture of safety, live with every day, AMC boss Gen. from sustainment challenges, repair Goldfein said in September. “I want Maryanne Miller said. e command backlogs, and shortages. e lack of commanders to push themselves and is looking to build more “white space” spares meant the aircraft were unable their airmen to achieve high levels of into airmen’s lives to reduce operations to y 22 percent of the time due to parts readiness,” he said in an o cial release. tempo, and airmen appreciated being shortages throughout most of 2017. But, “sometimes the right answer is to heard, Miller said. e eets of these two aircraft are knock it o.” The discussion showed a “safe- already small, meaning a push for Beginning May 21, wings stopped ty-minded consciousness” among air- improved mission-capable rates will ying as air and ground crews gathered men, Pacic Air Forces Deputy Com-

come on the backs of stressed aircraft. for all-calls and in operations o ces. mander Maj. Gen. Russell L. Mack Keyes A!C Shawna Photos: Int’l (Savannah); Assoc. 574 Fighters of Fire

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Col. Jennifer Short, 23rd Wing commander, addresses airmen at Moody AFB, Ga., during the one-day operational safety review on May 14. told Air Force Magazine. While airmen emergency landing Oct. 10 at JB El- Col. Kenneth E. Moss said in a recent face a high operations tempo, they are mendorf-Richardson, Alaska. interview. He wanted help “identifying “all about making sure things are done things leadership isn’t seeing or [is] not e ectively and safely. ey know that, OVERSEAS CHALLENGES aware of because of the distance from they drive to that,” he said. While most of the wings affected the ight line.” After the review, however, the service by the stand-down were Stateside Moss said he learned so much that he has not as yet identied an all-force and able to fully stop their operations, ordered regular stand-downs, quarterly. action plan (as of November) to address others had to find workarounds. The e 535th Airlift Squadron also at JB the situation, even as it comes under 199th Fighter Squadron from JB Pearl Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, a C-17 greater pressure to increase its readiness Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, was deployed unit responsible for long-distance airlift rates, which are keyed to ying hours. to South Korea as a Theater Security across the Pacic, identied problems For Air Combat Command, the re- Package and worked its stand-down driven by the vast expanses ights span view was an “opportunity to identify into a break during an exercise. The in the region. Squadron commander issues” that could a ect the overall mis- unit’s “safety guys” walked the unit Lt. Col. Chad Cisewski said in an inter- sion. ACC initiated no commandwide through recent F-22 accidents and view long ights can end up meaning changes, said command spokesman led discussions on contributing fac- 24-hour workdays for aircrew. To miti- Capt. Luke Nimmo. tors, a 199th FS pilot said in a recent gate risk, the squadron is giving crews Other changes across the Air Force interview. more warning before missions to ensure meant to reduce stress on aircrew, such At the 432nd Wing at Creech AFB, they’re well rested and adding a fourth as reducing additional duties, revitaliz- Nev., the Air Force’s principal remotely pilot to the current three-pilot mini- ing squadrons, and enhancing mission piloted aircraft wing could not stand mum needed for a 24-hour mission. planning, had already been in the works down the entire wing at once, Wing “It’s kind of a tax on the squadron, before the stand-down. Commander Col. Julian C. Cheater a step above and beyond, but when From Fiscal 2008 to Fiscal 2018, the said in a recent interview. Instead, the we can do it, it’s absolutely worth it,” Air Force lost 84 airmen to crashes. stand-down had to be held in phases. Cisewski said. Eighteen of those fatalities occurred in One takeaway for his wing, Cheater Goldfein said the stand-down ac- 2018, including nine when a Puerto Rico said: RPA pilots and sensor operators complished its objective: to increase Air National Guard WC-130U crashed are encouraged to raise their hands if the awareness of safety issues. on a Savannah, Ga., highway on May 2. they become too tired during a mission Maj. Gen. John T. Rauch Jr., com- Crashes have continued since: and hand o to someone else to contin- mander of the Air Force Safety Center, ■■■ Two T-38s crashed, one Aug. 17 ue. e decision to stop or continue is said the stand-down helped command- near Vance AFB, Okla., with the pilots between the crew and the operational ers identify concerns and ag those to ejecting, and another Sept. 11 at Shep- command in theater, instead of with higher-level commands. “is review pard AFB, Texas. higher command locally at Creech. gave commanders the opportunity and ■■■ A T-6 crashed Sept. 18 near JB- At the 374th Airlift Wing’s stand time to focus on ensuring operations SA-Randolph, Texas, with the pilots down at Yokota AB, Japan, maintainers were safe by identifying hazards that able to eject. and operators came together for an could lead to mishaps,” Rauch said in ■■■ An F-22 skidded off the runway “open conversation about what every- a release. Safety, he said, is ultimately

when landing gear failed during an one is seeing,” then-wing commander about airmen taking care of airmen. J Daniel Snider SrA. Photo:

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DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski is showered with champagne after her fini flight to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Pawlikowski was the RETAINING AFMC commander from 2015 until FUTURE her retirement in September. AIR FORCE WOMEN GENERALS Women are underrepresented in USAF’s senior ranks. ere are ways to change that.

By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director general to take charge of an Active to a year after giving birth to decide Duty Major Command, rather than if they wish to separate from the Air or a month in mid-2015 noting she was also the first woman Force; in the past, they were forced the Air Force boasted to take that job—and the first woman to make that decision more rapidly, three four-star women pilot to make four stars. and some found they later regretted among its leaders—mo- Women have proven they can suc- choosing to leave. mentarily coming close ceed at any level in the Air Force and An Aircrew Crisis Task Force report to matching the share the number of women succeeding in on the pilot shortage argued earlier of women in the ocer the ocer ranks is signicant. this year that USAF should recruit and corps as a whole, about e Air Force has no armative ac- train more women and minorities as 21 percent. tion program in place to promote wom- pilots. Women pilots say, however, FIt’s unlikely that will happen again en to the general ocer ranks. But it has that rules regarding pregnancy and anytime soon. e percentage of wom- in recent years begun concentrating flight status have not kept up with the en among the Air Force’s general o- more on retaining women at critical times or medical knowledge. They cers today is just 7.7 percent compared career inection points. Women make complain that their prime childbear- to 26.5 percent of all ocers. up more than 23 percent of the ocer ing years overlap with the time in their After Gen. Maryanne Miller took corps through captain, then fall off careers when they need to maximize command of Air Mobility Command rapidly at the eld-grade ranks of ma- flying hours; choosing to have chil- on Sept. 1, and before Gen. Ellen M. jor to colonel, when those choosing to dren cuts into flying time, as well as Pawlikowski retired as chief of Air Force have children nd themselves squeezed the ability to take on career-essential Materiel Command, the Air Force had between family and career demands. jobs and schools. One solution: Let two four-star women among its senior Then-Air Force Secretary Deborah women fly longer into a pregnancy leaders. But by the end of September, Lee James sought to ease those pres- and, perhaps, join a later officer-year the number was back to one. sures when she doubled maternity cohort when they lose flying time af- The fact that women are now rou- leave to 12 weeks in 2016, and new ter childbirth. That would help them tinely rising to the top ranks is a mothers may now defer deployments better compete for promotion. mark of success. Indeed, one sign of and physical fitness tests. Women may Lt. Gen. Jaqueline D. Van Ovost, a progress is that when Miller took over also apply for a “career intermission,” command pilot with more than 4,200 AMC, much of the press coverage fo- switching to the Reserve for up to hours who served as director of the Air cused on her being the first Reserve three years. And they now have up Sta, said rolling into a later year group

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM other to make the decision to get out, for the sake of the family or the work- life balance.” But young ocers today are less will- ing to make that choice, she said—and shouldn’t have to. e rst Air Force women four-stars all faced such a choice. “Each of the three of us”—Gen. Janet C. Wolfen- barger, Gen. Lori J. Robinson, and her- self—“by the time we were approaching that three-star, four-star level, our hus- bands were no longer serving on Active Duty,” Pawlikowski said. “I was extreme- ly fortunate that my husband decided that he really wanted to be a high school math teacher. ... Which enabled me to have someone with the exibility to nd a job wherever the Air Force took me. Because high school math teachers were always in high demand ... and he was able to be with the children when they were home.” Wolfenbarger’s husband retired as a colonel; Robinson’s husband retired as a two-star Reserve ocer. A lot of married women ocers in the Air Force are married to other mil- itary members, “so you end up with this constant challenge of, ‘how do I keep my family together and progress my career?’ And it’s more acute in the military,” she said. She added, “We lose a lot of people Women o„icers decline in higher ranks because of a spouse career.” It’s there- The Air Force has no diiculty recruiting or retaining women oicers up through fore critical that the Air Force “seriously captain. But from then on, retention decliens rapidly, with women making up a smaller look at what we can do to enable our and smaller portion of the force as they rise up the ranks.and begin to choose be- military members, especially as we’re tween their Air Force careers and bearing and raising children. an all-volunteer force, to be able to establish that work-life balance.” She acknowledged that USAF has “done a Second Lieutenant 23.4% number of things in the last three to First Lieutenant 24.8% ve years that has helped us to move Captain 23.2% toward” that goal. “And it benets ev- Major 20% erybody.” Lieutenant Colonel 15.7% “e Air Force of today is very, very Colonel 14.4% Percentage dierent from the Air Force that I started Brigadier General 5.2% of women with,” she said. “We’ve gone through Major General 8.8% o„icers many signicant transitions in terms overall Lieutenant General 12.2% of the introduction of women into the 21% General 15.4% leadership.” e “things that the Air Force has done to help women progress would enable women who choose to must continue to evolve the accom- through the ranks—and I don’t mean have children to still “go on and get modations provided to women, Paw- preferential treatment—have been, I command slots.” Women could main- likowski told Air Force Magazine in a think … positive for the force across tain ying prociency by having regular wide-ranging interview about her 40 the board.” sessions in simulators. at beats the years of commissioned service. Pawlikowski asserted that the Air alternative: losing the millions of dol- Today’s Air Force has more and more Force has been uniquely progressive lars invested to train those pilots in the “dual-career families, in which both in addressing the needs of women and rst place. the man and the woman are pretty families, and its progress continues to successful,” she said. Traditionally, cou- evolve. WISE COUNSEL ples have had to make a choice about “Keep in mind that, until about If the Air Force is to attract and retain whose career would take precedence, 1972, women who got pregnant were

the workforce it needs in the future it Pawlikowski said, driving “one or the separated,” she noted. The idea of R.Photo: Oriez/USAF J.

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  years ago, that we would have had a bunch of four-stars talking about that,” she observed. When Pawlikowski joined ROTC in 1974, women had only recently been allowed to become line ocers, with the same rights and opportunities as men (a 1972 legal case ended the practice of denying females spousal, housing, and other benets, and it had only been since 1967 that women were allowed to become general ocers). ere were “no scholarships” available to women when Pawlikowski joined, she added. She acknowledged that she, Wolfen- barger, and Robinson were among the rst female four-stars because they hap- pened to excel in non-pilot specialties. Women entered ying later, and that means that female pilots in transport and other ying specialties only later became eligible to be generals. Women in combat ying roles—ghters and bombers—will be along soon, she said, as they only got started in that eld in the early 1990s. It takes approximately 25 years of service for airmen to rst pin on as general ocers, and then “It’s about at Lt. Gen. Jaqueline Van Ovost, sta director at Headquarters Air Force, speaks the 33-year point when you make four with Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, 11th Wing and JB Andrews, Md., vice commander. stars,” she noted. Van Ovost, a command pilot, participated in a seminar about retention solutions Pawlikowski said she favors “this hosted by AFA in March. opportunity to take a break” for wom- en seeking to start a family, “because I think that the women of today want to have a family.” She recalled when Brig. Gen. Wilma L. Vaught (Ret.) gave a speech in 1983, when Pawlikowski was at McClellan AFB, Calif., Vaught agreed to meet with the three women ocers on the base. “ ‘You’re not going to be able to have a family,’” Vaught told the three women at the time. “ ‘In order for you to progress to where I am, you’re going to have to be 100 percent dedicated to your career.’ ” at, Pawlikowski recalled, “really irritated me—why is it that the [male] lieutenant sitting next to me can have a family but I can’t?” When Pawlikowski pinned on her First Lt. Hillary Keltner follows a dress right dress command during inspection rst star years later, Vaught was invit- at Schriever AFB, Colo. Women make up more than 20 percent of the o icer ed. e new one-star made a point of corps at major and below, but above that rank, the number of women o icers introducing Vaught to her daughters. drops dramatically. “ ‘I’ve been waiting 20 years to tell you [that] you were wrong,’” Pawlikowski child-care centers on Air Force bases the top USAF leadership had a lengthy said. “But the fact of the matter was, she was a remote and laughable notion discussion about the need for 24-hour was right—in 1983. Many women in my when she was commissioned in 1978. childcare at Creech AFB, Nev., because year group chose to ... leave to have a “If you were a woman on Active Duty remotely piloted aircraft operators are family” and became “highly successful and you were worried about childcare, often “ ying” on a clock many time doing other things.” that was your problem,” she recalled. zones away. Women of today “want to have the In a recent meeting, however, she said “It would have been unheard of, 20 exibility to take three years o, maybe,

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM of a family, and a family that takes care of each other, and it goes beyond just the member.” e service must accept that “you don’t get ‘two-for-one’ when you hire a squadron commander. And that’s particularly challenging when the spouse may also be a squadron commander.” Once upon a time, much of that support was provided by other mem- bers, she said. Recalling how, when her husband sat alert, husbands not on alert were ready to help “if my toilet backed up and I needed help cleaning up the mess.” Now, “just like industry, we’re prob- ably going to have to o er more of that institutionally, instead of it being a volunteer spouse network.” e old system of members helping each oth- Then-Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, Chief of AFRC, during a tour of Hill AFB, Utah. Miller er still happens and is laudable, but pinned on her fourth star in September and became head of Air Mobility Command. physical realities get in the way, she She is USAF’s fourth woman to be promoted to full general o icer. noted. When she commanded USAF’s Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, family housing was “35 miles south of the base,” and it was impractical to invite members to “a social function after work.” So, “that type of environment is very dicult to replicate. ... Culturally, we have to gure out how we’re going to adapt to that with this generation of airmen.” Pawlikowski said 1980 marked a true watershed for the Air Force, be- cause that was the year that women first graduated from the Air Force Academy. She noted that she and Gen. Robin Rand of Global Strike Com- Gen. Wolfenbarger speaks on an Air Force Association panel of four-stars. Gen. mand, who retired this summer, were Hawk Carlisle is to her left. “the last of the ’70s. ... All the other four-stars, now, are post-1980,” and until their children are older, and not to similar arrangements in the future. with the exception of combat pilots, have it be an insurmountable” hurdle “But it will be interesting because women were able to serve in almost for a successful career. Not only that, there will be cultural challenges,” Paw- any capacity from that date forward. “these are things that, frankly, my male likowski said. And those will chiey counterparts would like to do, too. And reside with more senior ocers and THERE’S NO GOING BACK so I really think the Air Force needs to retirees. Younger people typically don’t Today, “people don’t bat an eye- continue on this journey ... of really have a problem with new approaches, lash” at women serving in previously looking at the quality of life aspects of she said. male-only specialties. “People still ask our military.” Just over the course of her own career, me, what’s it like to be a four-star and a As to whether the “time o ” idea will Pawlikowski said, the Air Force has gone woman? I don’t know why I would feel y with the rank and le, Pawlikowski from spouses being almost entirely any di erent from any other four-star,” said, “e jury is still out. We’ve had that women—“where the wing command- she said. program now for maybe three years.” er’s wife was equivalent to the wing While Pawlikowski agrees there may She added, “I’m hopeful.” commander”—to today, when spouses be a “lull” in the number of four-star e promotion of Gen. Maryanne are male and female, and “spouse clubs women generals, “what I think you’re Miller and others is a positive sign, ... are struggling.” going to see ... I’m hoping,” she said, Pawlikowski said, that the Air Force Millenials, market research shows, “over the next three or four years you’ll has “an appetite” to step outside of its “just don’t join things,” Pawlikowski not- see that group of women that have traditions and try new things. As the ed, and the Air Force must do a good job been able to compete in the combat rst Reservist to command an Active articulating “what’s in it for me?” She arms on an equal footing with men, Duty major command, Miller is setting believes USAF should emphasize that [and] we’ll start to populate the more a precedent that will reduce objections serving is not just a job, but “you’re part senior ranks.” J Holcomb/USAF; Rogers/USAF; Dennis Aaron Murphy; Michael Photos: Stout Amn. Amn. Paul

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  MSgt. Maria Teresa Pineda, a special operations recruiter, hefts a sandbag during a Battlefield Airman Prep Course at JBSA-Lackland, Texas. Recruiters are put through the course to learn the challenges BA recruits face.

How the Air Force is building the next generation of special warfare airmen. SPECIAL By Steve Hirsch, Senior Editor TREATMENT FOR SPECIAL WARRIORS Jbsa-LackLand, Texas— USAF’s six special warfare specialties— washout rate contributes to the elite combat controller; pararescueman; persona of special warfare jobs, but t can take two years and up to special operations weather technician; burning through candidates at such 10 recruits to produce a single tactical air control party specialist; ex- high rates is ultimately inefficient. special warfare airman today. plosive ordnance disposal technician; e Air Force reactivated the 330th Finding a way to make that pro- and survival, evasion, resistance, and Recruiting Squadron here as one of the cess more efficient—yet no less escape specialist—and a new up-front rst steps in a multipart strategy to re- Ieffective—is the focus of a critical new conditioning program aims to bet- duce attrition and boost the numbers of Air Force initiative. ter prepare candidates for the rigors special warfare airmen. e service had A new recruiting command is tak- they’ll face in training. previously tried to foster mentor rela- ing shape to help identify the kinds of Attrition rates for the six specialties tionships between hopeful recruits and candidates who can best succeed in range from 50 to 85 percent. That high prior-service special operators across

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Trainees endure a rigorous eight-week physical regimen of running, rucking, and swimming to prepare for the special warfare training pipeline.

after several less-intense joint schools we are and what we do.” which do not require as much mental/ e kinds of potential recruits the physical stamina. Initial results are Air Force wants may know all about promising for pipeline courses with the Army’s Green Berets and Rangers, historically high attrition rates, but it the Navy SEALs, and even the Marine is too early to tell how these changes Corps’ Force Recon units, but Air Force have affected the combat controllers special operators don’t get that kind of and special operations weather tech- attention. nicians, according to Kerns. “at’s one of the major problems “We have changed many variables that we’re addressing,” Kerns said. “It in the system, so it’s hard to isolate all comes largely from priding ourselves the facts,” he said. on being quiet professionals, just the “In recruiting we know that many humility to want to focus on doing your factors come into play over a two- to job and not worrying about the press.” the country with the hopes they would three-year training pipeline. While Recruiting ts in with other steps increase graduation rates. recruiting has less to do with training, the service is taking along these lines. As USAF’s only unit solely dedicated how our recruits are doing long-term In October, the service activated a Spe- to recruiting for special operations is something we always must keep cial Warfare Training Wing, which has and combat support, the 330th stood in mind. The solutions that we build aligned training components similarly up June 29 with 96 airmen dedicated must lead to long-term success. We are to other services. to the task. not exclusively focused on only getting Recruiting the right kinds of indi- Maj. Heath Kerns, who has more them through the first gate. Ultimate- viduals—people who are most likely to than a decade as a special tactics ly, all of this, from recruiters to the succeed—is also critical. Special warfare officer and now commands the 330th training pipeline, must work together demands “very tough” recruits with RCS, said the Air Force cannot afford to to deliver the most lethal fighting force high intellectual aptitude, as measured expend “exorbitant amounts of effort” to our operational squadrons,” he said by the Armed Services Vocational Ap- only to lose most of “these rare per- At least twice, Kerns said the Air Force titude Battery (ASVAB), as well as the sonnel” before they ever complete the su ered 100 percent attrition. “ey fortitude to not give up when the going one- to three-year training pipeline. literally had no one left, and no one gets rough. Kerns said the pararescue indoctri- graduated the course,” he said. “Obvi- The Air Force wants former high nation course—the initial course of the ously [that] is just a total failure across school and college athletes who are pararescue pipeline—has historically the entire spectrum of that process.” not just fit, but physically and men- high attrition rates because it is very tally tough. Football, wrestling, la- intense physically and demands quite RECRUITING FOR SUCCESS crosse, and rugby—considered the a bit from candidates very early on in Recruiting for special warfare special- “more arduous, more contact-related the pipeline. In contrasst, in the com- ists in the Air Force starts with under- sports”—produce strong candidates, bat controller specialty and special op- standing that the core target group of but so do high-endurance sports like erations weather technician pipelines, potential candidates probably doesn’t long-distance running and “adren- the culminating apprentice courses are even know the Air Force does this kind aline-charged” recruits attracted to difficult because they assess much of of work. high-risk extreme sports, such as rock previously learned skills over two years “Brand awareness,” Kerns said, is a climbing or skydiving.

of training and this course takes place major challenge. “No one knows who It’s all about finding that “X-factor,” Photos: EJ Ortega/USAF Ismael Hersom/DOD;

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Battlefield airmen recruits train for amphibious operations in—and out of—water. Amphibious training includes mask and snorkel recovery, as well as sharing a snorkel underwater.

Kerns said: “That drive, that dedica- ness,” Kerns said. “We’re trying to give The new eight-week Special Warfare tion, that duty—sacrificing yourself ... every opportunity for success [to] Prep Course covers the four specialties for the benefit of your brothers and that kid that didn’t have the oppor- of combat controller, special opera- sisters, putting others first for a greater tunity to swim or didn’t have the role tions weather technician, tactical air c a u s e .” models that were encouraging him in party control specialist, and parares- It’s a quality that “gets tested very those ways.” cueman. It is modeled on a Navy SEAL painfully and thoroughly” throughout Better preparation means fewer training course designed for the same special warfare training. surprises, he said. “They know exactly purpose—to better prepare future “When you’re tired, when you’re what to expect.” special warriors for the brutal training exhausted, when you’re hungry, when More focus on what kinds of people they’ll experience on the way to earn- your body’s cramping, can you still will succeed has also produced more ing their special warfare credentials. push through and take care of the guys viable candidates. While in years past, Physical training, close monitoring alongside you to accomplish your mis- training slots went unused for lack of performance, and focused remedia- sion?” he asked. of candidates, now the pipelines are tion to fix problems all aim to increase “We can train people physically,” he growing more crowded. This year, the the likelihood that candidates can said, but getting t is only part of the tactical air control pipeline produced pass the course. Standards, however, battle. “We can get them physically t in more candidates than class slots, ac- remain constant. the short term, but “their bodies break cording to Kerns, as well as the bat- “This is not a selection course, it is a down over a long and arduous training tlefield airmen development course, development course,” said Innovation pipeline.” “where we’re able to push more than Cell Program Manager Patrick Wilson, To stave o attrition and increase they’re initially able to handle.” who oversees a program that uses ad- success, the Air Force hired former Historically, “that was always the vanced sensors to monitor candidates’ special operators, dubbed “developers,” reverse,” Kerns said. “There had al- conditions as they progress through who work with recruiters and recruits ways been more class slots than they the course. to help prepare them for the training had personnel to fill them, and then Trainees drill in swimming, run- that lies ahead. e developers help the people that showed up weren’t ning, strength, conditioning, and mo- with nutrition, share reading lists and the right quality. Now we’re flooding bility in a program that treats the re- motivational speeches, and interact them with higher quality.” cruits like professional athletes, which with recruits on a social media platform. allows access to physical therapists “It’s a whole process,” Kerns said. “It’s BUILDING STRONGER AIRMEN and trainers. helping them build that mental resilien- Just getting people to training, how- “That’s our job, to get them through, cy.” e idea is to help recruits succeed ever, is only part of the challenge. to make them into better battlefield through training and preparation. Getting them through up to two years airmen,” said MSgt. Stephen Thomas, “You still have to have that tough- of challenging training is not easy. an instructor.

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM Athletic trainer Rachel Matson monitors a recruit. Trainees are treated like professional athletes, with access to physical therapists, trainers, and a system of sensors that track a candidate’s physical condition as they progress through the course.

Mike Fisher, a prep course swim data into a central database to help It is not clear yet just how much all coach, was a NCAA Division 1 qualifier spot trends. this special attention will a ect attrition. and competed in the 2012 and 2016 Monitoring takes place both inside Hughes stated in an email that it Olympic Trials. He helps students gain and outside the gym. One sensor, is still too early to draw definitive confidence in the water through two- shaped like a hockey puck, tracks can- conclusions, but answers should be hour swim classes, five times a week. didates’ core temperature, heart rate, available soon. “We expect to have Water confidence training, he said, and breathing rate; another conducts sufficient data for a more conclusive includes some pool skills, such as an electrocardiogram “with a whole assessment next year,” he said. “Ulti- mask and snorkel recovery and buddy bunch of bells and whistles” at the mately, the purpose of the prep course breathing—sharing a snorkel—under start and end of the day, Wilson said. is to create fitter, faster, stronger, more pressure. A third is a wristband that measures mentally resilient airmen for entry Injury prevention is a critical focus the quantity and quality of candi- into the pipeline training.” of the prep course. “We’ve tradition- dates’ sleep and correlates the effects While the jury is still out on attrition, ally had a lot of students get injured, of sleep problems on performance Hughes said course leaders are seeing and their risk of getting reinjured was with the impact alcohol consumption higher physical fitness scores. “We too high,” he said. That contributed can have on performance, to help are now focused on building out the to the high attrition rates. “We work candidates understand the implica- mental-resilience component of the really hard on injury prevention in tions of lost sleep on their individual course to complement the great work this course because often, injuries are effectiveness. Tracking sleep helps on the physical component,” he said. career-postponing or worse.” identify those who are suffering from Overall, he added, Air Force efforts Students are screened to try to spot stress and those who might benefit to look at the entire special warfare potential injury risks early. from float tanks or meditation to help talent pipeline do seem to be having If a candidate squats poorly, ath- them unwind. an impact. “It has allowed us to devel- letic trainer Rachel Matson might To enhance performance, candi- op a more consistent and predictable have them do single or double squats, dates sleep in Tempur-Pedic beds and program for onboarding candidates, mobility exercises for each joint, or are held on lockdown for the first five sequencing them into Basic Military stability exercises, all of which could weeks, which also helps build cama- Training, working with them during improve movement and reduce the raderie and teamwork. BMT, transitioning them to the prep risk of injury. Psychological testing administered course, and then aligning initial AFSC Candidates are monitored constant- several times throughout the course training courses with prep course com- ly. With at least one sensor attached also provides insights. pletion,” he said. That means less time to candidates at all times, instructors “This is the first time we have treat- wasted between classes waiting for monitor about 300 data points for ed humans like weapons systems,” training and a more efficient, effective

every student and consolidate the Wilson said. path through the process. J Ortega/USAF;Photos: Ismael Saldivar/USAF Johnny

DECEMBER  AIRFORCEMAG.COM  OUTSTANDING AIRMEN of the Year

SMSGT. MELISSA A. BEAM 1N0 Air Force Specialty Code Manager 497th Operations Support Squadron (Air Combat Command) JB Langley-Eustis, Va. Home of Record: Catskill, N.Y.

SMSgt. Melissa A. Beam was the distributed ground system-1 analysis and re- porting team flight chief at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., where she led a team of 134 o€ icers, enlisted members, civilians, and contractors responsible for delivering 24- hour, time-dominant intelligence fusion and target-discovery capabilities to five combatant commanders in direct support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Her team of airmen was instrumental in the freeing of 4.5 million Iraqi citizens and six cities from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) control. They tasked intelligence, surveil- lance, and reconnaissance assets to erase more than 100 remotely piloted aircraft and 19 improvised explosive device networks and eliminated more than 225 ISIS oil fields, ultimately saving 138,000 coalition forces lives.

SMSGT. RUTH C. GRIFFIN Superintendent, Operations and Compliance Management 2nd Logistics Readiness Squadron (Air Force Global Strike Command) Barksdale AFB, La. Home of Record: Brinkley, Ariz.

SMSgt. Ruth C. Gri€ in led 391 military and civilian personnel to success in optimiz- ing fuels capabilities by eliminating biodiesel fuel for 284 vehicles. These actions saved two organizations 724 man-hours and earned her unit the 1 percent Gov- ernment Green Fleet Award. Additionally, she championed the wing’s Hurricane Evacuation Receptions, ensuring the beddown of 550 personnel across 10 wings, and powered an 85,000-gallon refueling operation in support of 176 aircraft. The team’s actions a€ orded protection of $6 billion in United States Air Force assets. Her team also garnered 11 higher headquarter and wing awards and earned five Below the Zone stripes. Finally, the major command functional manager chose Gri€ in to provide expertise and shape future career field requirements. She led nine subject-matter experts and modified 52 manpower-process orientation de- scriptions.

SMSGT. LUCERO STOCKETT KC-10 Boom Operator Superintendent 6th Air Refueling Squadron (Air Mobility Command) Travis AFB, Calif. Home of Record: El Paso, Texas

SMSgt. Lucero Stockett has been instrumental as the KC-10 boom operator super- intendent. During this period, she oversaw the supervision of 32 boom operators, managing 17,500 days of personnel on temporary duty on over 2,100 mission and 26 Central Command deployment taskings that supported over 3,000 receivers and 1,000 strikes. She won two national-level awards for her leadership and com- munity involvement: the National LATINA Style Distinguished Military Service Award and the National Image Meritorious Service Award. Additionally, she was awarded the Robert “Dutch” Huyser Award for her leadership and professional acumen as a career enlisted aviator. She also garnered the John L. Levitow and Distinguished Graduate Awards at the Senior Noncommissioned O€ icer Academy.

DECEMBER  ★ WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM THE AIR FORCE OUTSTANDING AIRMAN PROGRAM annually recognizes 12 enlisted members for superior leadership, job performance, community involvement, and personal achievements.

THE PROGRAM DEBUTED at the Air Force Asso ciation’s 10th annual National Convention in 1956. e Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the command chief master sergeants from each USAF major command comprise the selection board, with the Air Force Chief of Sta reviewing their selections.

MSGT. KIT C. LUI NCOIC, Engineering Flight 433rd Civil Engineer Squadron (Air Force Reserve Command) JBSA-Lackland, Texas Home of Record: Schertz, Texas

MSgt. Kit C. Lui, noncommissioned oˆicer in charge and engineer craftsman, di- rected and performed civil engineering design, drafting, surveying, and contract surveillance to support Air Force facility construction and maintenance programs. Lui utilized surveying technology to include global positioning systems to evaluate potential construction sites and airfields. He supported various military campaigns: Operations Inherent Resolve, Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa, Free- dom’s Sentinel, and Resolute Support. He forward deployed to numerous coun- tries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Syria and undisclosed locations in support of joint operations and contingencies. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as the NCOIC, airfield pavement evaluation and expeditionary geoBase manager, Southwest Asia.

MSGT. JOSHUA A. MATIAS Control Tower Chief Controller 14th Operations Support Squadron (Air Education and Training Command) Columbus AFB, Miss. Home of Record: Milwaukee

MSgt. Joshua A. Matias led 28 airmen and civilians in support of AETC’s No. 1 flying hour program, generating 65,000 sorties and producing 453 Air Force pilots. His eˆorts enabled 394 position certifications and 22 skill-level upgrades in 54 percent of the allotted time. As squadron superintendent while deployed to Southwest Asia, he led 135 warfighters from 13 Air Force specialty codes and 17 bases worldwide in the execution of eight major combat operations. His team generated 56,000 oper- ations and 7,000 intelligence and weather products supporting the Combined Joint Task Force with the liberation of 500,000 civilians in the city of Mosul, leading to the elimination of 5,000 ISIS enemy combatants. As deployed tower chief controller, Matias’ team partnered with 100 host nation air traˆic controllers. Their partnership supported eight weapons systems, 23,000 combat missions, 40,000 flight hours, and the delivery of 194 million pounds of fuel.

TSGT. BRETT M. LASWELL AC-130U Evaluator Special Missions Aviator/Flight NCOIC 4th Special Operations Squadron (Air Force Special Operations Command) Hurlburt Field, Fla. Home of Record: McLeansboro, Ill.

TSgt. Brett M. Laswell was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his eŽorts in Af- ghanistan, after 10 hours of CAS, expending two combat loads of ammunition, killing 32 enemies, and destroying 23 buildings. He led a five-person gun crew during South- ern Command’s largest CAS exercise, flying 21 hours, readying 400 Special Operations Forces personnel for AC-130U employment and was selected for evaluator upgrade. As special missions aviator instructor, he executed 23 sorties and 105 flight hours, instruct- ing lead gun, instructor, and evaluator training, directing 22 special missions aviators for next-level certification and qualifications. He completed five college classes, 40-hour senior enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, and JSOU CEP-1 PME with a stellar 4.0 GPA, earning two CCAF degrees in aviation operations and maintenance technol- ogy. Additionally, he was selected for a Smithsonian Channel film, where he provided aircrew reenactments, stamping AFSOC’s AC-130U aircraft into the history books. Photos: USAF

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM OUTSTANDING AIRMEN of the Year

TSGT. DAVID E. MILLER Noncommissioned O icer in Charge of Personnel and Readiness 48th Contracting Squadron (USAFE-AFAFRICA) RAF Lakenheath, England Home of Record: Columbus, Ohio

TSgt. David E. Miller was instrumental in leading the 48th Contracting Contingen- cy Support cell by providing expert oversight onto 18 of the wing’s deployment and exercise operations, increasing combat mission readiness for eight nations across three combatant commands, while supporting $3 million worth of life-sav- ing requirements. Miller served as project o‚ icer for three multinational operations, coordinating emergency logistics for 275 members in less than three days. He also served as the subject-matter expert for emergency operations, which led to the elimination of 14 response vulnerabilities connected to eight real-world disas- ters, thereby increasing emergency capabilities by 35 percent over three wings. He further led contracting operations for multiple deployments in Spain and France, thereby staging over $2 million of base support services while bolstering opera- tions for more than 700 AFRICOM sorties.

TSGT. APRIL A. SPILDE Flight Chief/Security Forces Craftsman 30th Security Forces Squadron (Air Force Space Command) Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Home of Record: Minneapolis

TSgt. April A. Spilde was instrumental to the Total Force success of the 58th Pres- idential Inauguration, dedicating 80 hours training 90 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve airmen as ceremonial Guardsmen with the USAF Honor Guard. Photos: USAF Spilde led a three-person mobile training team to the 156th Airlift Wing at Muñiz ANGB, Puerto Rico, and established a fully funded base Honor Guard program, including a budget increase of $10,000. As a security forces flight chief, she led 135 airmen, securing $10.2 billion in space-launch assets, and managed the flight schedule, logistics, and daily police operations, defending 999 family houses, 2,100 facilities, and 15,000 personnel across a 99,000-acre installation. Spilde masterfully completed nine college classes and graduated cum laude, earning her bachelor’s degree in english. She graduated from the NCO Academy and was the recipient of the John L. Levitow Leadership Award.

SSGT. ELIZABETH G. CAULFIELD Advanced Scientific and Technical Intelligence (S&TI) Analyst National Air and Space Intelligence Center (Air Force Materiel Command) Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio Home of Record: Traverse City, Mich.

SSgt. Elizabeth G. Caulfield led a four-member deployment team for a total of 60 days supporting Combat Sent operations across two separate geographic areas of responsibility, while successfully processing 23 missions encompassing 235 sig- nals. She conducted 22 deployed aircrew debriefs and provided feedback which fixed shortfalls and refined identification by 35 percent. She authored seven engi- neer-level reports, highlighting key enemy weapons systems vulnerabilities which revised US operations plans with emerging threat data. She aced four college courses achieving a 3.8 GPA, earning her bachelor’s degree in organizational psy- chology. Additionally she discovered an upgrade to an advanced weapons system enhancing a Department of Defense high-priority intelligence e‚ ort, fusing vital data with fighter/bomber development.

 DECEMBER  ★ WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM THE  SELECTEES ARE AWARDED the Outstanding Airman of the Year ribbon with the bronze service star device and wear the Outstanding Airman badge for one year.

SSGT. WILSON B. GARDNER Airfield Systems Journeyman 202d Engineering Installation Squadron (Air National Guard) Robins Air Force Base, Ga. Home of Record: Douglasville, Ga.

SSgt. Wilson B. Gardner enhanced data processing and network security at 20 sensitive compartmented information facility sites and fabricated 30,000 feet of fiber-optic cable, which resulted in installation cost savings of $25,000. He created an in-house, high-reliability soldering course, training 25 members on a critical high-tech skill. Gardner was voluntarily activated three times for more than 400 days in support of a C4IT construction project with United States Strategic Com- mand, O utt AFB, Neb. He installed 216 communication racks and 18 telephone closets, fitted 5,000 J-hooks, and 37 multi-user telecommunications outlet assem- blies, directly resulting in savings of over $200 million and increasing C4ISR capa- bilities by more than 200 percent. Additionally, he provided support to three sites in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, enhancing network reliability and reducing maintenance requirements by 25 percent.

SRA. PATRICK O. P. SCHILLING Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Journeyman 775th Civil Engineer Squadron (Air Force Materiel Command) Hill Air Force Base, Utah Home of Record: Sarasota, Fla.

SrA. Patrick O. P. Schilling filled a crucial capabilities gap for the 775th EOD Flight when he stepped up to fill the role of munitions account manager for the Air Force’s largest custodial account during his supervisor’s absence; coordinating 40,000 items worth $554,000. During operations, he destroyed seven intercontinental bal- listic missile motors, saving the US Navy $6 million in storage and maintenance costs, fulfilled international relations agreements between the US and Russia, in turn earning him AFMC’s nomination for Enlisted Military Assistant to the Secre- tary of Defense. Additionally, while Schilling was administering a physical training test, he saved another airman’s life by being the first to respond to a medical emer- gency. He partnered with the US Secret Service during the Presidential Inaugura- tion, where he cleared 112 acres, five vans, and four packages of explosive hazards, ensuring the safety of the president and 800,000 personnel.

SRA. JON R. TAITANO Client Systems Technician 644th Combat Communications Squadron (Pacific Air Forces) Andersen AFB, Guam Agana Heights, Guam

SrA. Jon R. Taitano was a combat communicator and client systems technician assigned to the 644th CCS, 36th Contingency Response Group, 36th Wing, Ander- sen AFB, Guam. He maintained and troubleshot classified and unclassified com- munication systems in direct support of 3,000 deployed users, as well as theater deployed systems for a broad range of military missions, such as President of the United States support, contingency operations, agile combat employment, and hu- manitarian assistance operations for Pacific Air Force’s only combat-rated commu- nications squadron. In addition, he assisted with maintaining operational readiness within the 36th CRG by certifying personnel in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and self-aid buddy care. Photos: USAF

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM THE FALL The French armed forces had more of OF FRANCE almost everything, but they su€ered a defeat in less than six weeks.

By John T. Correll

s war clouds gathered over Europe in the summer of 1939, the French were boldly confident of their capability to defend themselves should GermanyA be rash enough to attack. “The French Army is stronger than ever before in its history,” declared Gen. Maxime Weygand, the retired chief of staff. “Its equipment is the best, its fortifications are first rate, its morale is excellent, and it has an outstanding high command. Nobody wants war but if we are forced to win a new victory then we will win it.” The military editor of The New York Times, Hanson W. Baldwin, was of a similar opinion. “The French army has long been called by experts the ‘best in the world,’ and its finest divisions undoubtedly are unmatched,” he said. The French were ahead of the Germans, or nearly so, in almost every category of military power. They had more tanks, more artillery, more men under arms, and about the same number of combat airplanes. The entire French-German bor- der, from Basel in Switzerland to the

British soldiers wade from the beaches at Dunkirk to a waiting destroyer during a mass evacuation eort just before the fall of France.

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM A German Dornier light bomber drops bombs over France in June 1940. The French had more combat aircraft than Germany, but only a fourth of the fleet was operational on the Western Front.

Longwy on the Luxembourg ern Europe May 10, 1940, and frontier, was protected by with a success that surprised the Maginot Line, a contin- even themselves, completely uous string of linked con- routed the French and their crete fortifications, mine allies in less than six weeks. fields, barriers, ditches, and On June 22, the French signed prepared fields of fire. a humiliating armistice that With reduced require- marked the end of their inde- ment for mobile forces on pendence as a nation. that front, the French could How could it have hap- allocate more of their man- pened? power to the Belgian bor- der on the north, where a SHIFT TO THE DEFENSIVE German attack, if there was After World War I, the one, was expected to come. French military abandoned its The lowest priority for de- traditional offensive doctrine fense were the approaches for a defensive strategy called from the Ardennes Forest— bataille conduit, or “method- regarded as “impenetra- ical battle.” ble”—between the Maginot “The ‘methodical battle’ Line and Belgium. started from the premise that The Germans invaded in modern warfare the strength Poland Sept. 1, 1939, and of firepower bestowed an im- two days later, Britain and mense advantage upon the France declared war. The defender,” said historian Julian French did not redeploy Jackson. “Massing the amount their forces based in North of material necessary to car- Africa and other colonial ry out a successful offensive territories, but the numbers was a complex logistics oper- added by the Belgians and ation that required meticulous Dutch—previously declared neutral— and commander of the armed forces, preparation. and the British Expeditionary Force, said in February 1940 that he would “What the army wanted to avoid ensured a favorable ratio. On the be happy to make the Germans a gift above all were improvised ‘encounter’ Western Front, 151 Allied divisions of one billion francs if they would do battles where moving armies came faced 135 German divisions in the him the favor of taking the initiative upon each other without having pre- spring of 1940. in an attack. pared their positions. Instead, the French confidence gave way to What followed ranks as one of the emphasis of French doctrine was cockiness. Gen. Maurice Gustave most stunning upsets in the history of on a tightly controlled battle where

Gamelin, 68, the current army chief warfare. The Germans invaded west- decision-making was centralized at Archives; Federal Tsukamoto by German map Mike sta Museum; War Photos: Imperial

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  A column of German Panzer IVs move through a French town in May 1940.

the highest levels. This was in stark the Germans crossed his border, he operated clockwise, with the Germans contrast to German doctrine, which asked the French for help. swinging northwest behind the French encouraged initiatives by lower-level moving into Belgium.” commanders.” SICKLE CUT e operation, known as Sichelsnitt The Maginot Line, built between The French had not been altogeth- or “Sickle Cut,” aimed to split the French 1930 and 1937, was a key aspect of the er wrong about German strategy. army in two and sever the support lines strategy, blocking an advance from the “Indeed, in the first three drafts of for the forces in Belgium. Traditional- east and establishing a stable front on the German campaign plan, drafted ists, notably Gen. Franz Halder, chief the French-German border. between October 1939 and January of the army general sta, ridiculed the The expectation was that, if the 1940, the primary attack was against revised strategy but later attempted to Germans did attack, they would come Belgium by the right wing of the Ger- take credit for it when it worked. charging through Belgium, as they man army,” said Karl-Heinz Frieser, a The declarations of war in Septem- had done in the “Schlieffen Plan” that German historian. ber were followed by a lull that lasted opened World War I in 1914. Germany had assembled three army through the winter and was called “the The bedrock assumption was that groups on the Western Front: Group Phony War” by the newspapers. There France would meet the German attack B in the north opposite Holland and were a few skirmishes between patrols in Belgium. A basic problem with Belgium, Group A in the center facing and an occasional dogfight by the that was the weakness of the Benelux the Ardennes, and Group C in a holding fighter planes, but both sides seemed countries. Luxembourg had only a action against the Maginot Line in the reluctant to begin the real fighting. few hundred soldiers and a 12-horse south. Gamelin had time to bring addition- cavalry troop. The armies of Belgium Lt. Gen. Heinz Guderian, Germany’s al forces back to France from distant and the Netherlands, with respective best tank o cer, convinced Gen. Erich locations but did not choose to do so. strengths of 650,000 and 400,000, were von Manstein, chief of sta of Army His headquarters was in Paris, and his substantial, and the Belgians had 270 Group A, that he could move his panzers contact with troops in the field was tanks. e ciently through the Ardennes and limited. He concentrated on dealing In 1936, however, King Leopold of Manstein convinced Hitler. e primary with the politicians, with whom he Belgium repudiated the military treaty attack would be delivered by Group A was more comfortable. with France and declared neutrali- under Gen. Gerd von Rundstedt. ty. The Dutch followed his example, “The new plan was a mirror image PANZERS and French forces were denied en- of the Schlieffen Plan, which had Tanks were rst introduced by the try. Unknown to Leopold, the French been like a revolving door through British and French in World War I, and planned to go into Belgium anyway if which the German armies advancing by the end of that conict, they were they needed to, although preposition- through Belgium swung southeast operating thousands of them. Germany ing was not possible. behind the French armies marching never had more than 20. Despite the Leopold did not change his mind eastward into Lorraine,” said histo- German military buildup in the 1930s, until the invasion. A few hours after rian Jackson. “This time the rotation the French were still ahead in 1940.

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM the other side was the division com- manded by another up-and-coming tank ocer, Maj. Gen. Erwin Rommel.

AIRPOWER French airpower was competitive with the Luftwae, or so it seemed before the war started. In May 1940, the French had 4,360 combat aircraft vs. 3,270 for the Germans. However, the French had only a fourth of these aircraft in operational formations on the Western Front. Airplanes, like tanks, were considered to be support for the infantry. “ ere is no such thing as a battle of the air,” Gamelin said in 1939. “ ere is only a battle of the land.” Most authorities rated the French ghters as at least as good as their Ger- French army Gen. Maurice Gustave Gamelin in 1936. Gamelin sarcastically man counterparts. e Dewoitine 520 oered the Germans one billion francs if they would do him the “favor” of taking and even the American-made Curtiss the initiative in an attack. That was a mistake. 75A—a variant of the obsolescent P-36 Hawk—often held their own with the On the northeast front in Western Even though the northern oensive Messerschmitt Bf 109, the best ghter Europe, the French had 3,254 tanks that began May 10 was secondary, it in the world at the time. compared to 2,439 for the Germans. was full strength. Luxembourg gave e French Hawk 75As were even- e French tanks, notably the medium up without a ght. e Netherlands tually captured, outtted with German Somua S35 and the heavy Char B1, were surrendered May 14. e Belgians held instrumentation, and sold to Finland, rated as superior to the German work- out for a short time near the border and which operated them alongside the horses, the Panzer III and Panzer IV. then fell back to form a new line with Luftwae against the Soviet Union in France was also rst, in 1933, to or- the 22 French and British divisions that 1941. ganize tanks into armored divisions. By had moved forward to the Dyle river. The French airmen were not orga- 1940, though, only a third of the tanks e Allies had not yet discerned the nized for quick response. Airpower were assigned to these divisions. e German strategy. was not centrally controlled, and re- others were distributed around the It is not clear how the French con- quests for air support were delayed army to support the infantry. Innovative vinced themselves that the Ardennes by the sluggish chain of command. tank ocers, such as Col. Charles de was “impenetrable” and impassible for French fighter units flew an average Gaulle, were distrusted and promoted large military forces, but they believed of 0.9 sorties a day, compared to 4.0 slowly. it absolutely. e Ardennes was densely for the Germans. French bomber units The Germans consolidated their forested, with rugged hills, steep ra- were even worse, at 0.25 sorties a day. tanks into 10 Panzer divisions. The vines, deep valleys, and winding roads. Aerial reconnaissance discovered thrust through the Ardennes would be Nevertheless, military formations could “considerable motorized and armored led by Panzer Group Kleist—command- and did get through. forces on the move” through the Ar- ed by Gen. Ewald von Kleist—with ve British strategist B. H. Liddell Hart dennes on May 11 and reported them divisions divided into two corps. Gude- visited the region in 1928 and de- to be carrying bridging equipment. rian was more qualied than Kleist for scribed it as “well-roaded and most “The air forces of the allies were pre- the assignment, but the old guard was of it rolling rather than mountainous sented with a unique opportunity suspicious of his ideas. Instead, he was country.” He reported that the “impas- on a silver platter to smash a major given command of the XIX Panzer Corps sibility of the Ardennes has been much portion of the German panzer force in with three divisions on Kleist’s left ank. exaggerated.” the Ardennes,” said German historian Guderian was pointed directly to- A German map exercise concluded Frieser. “But as if by a miracle, the ward the center of the front, where the that the Ardennes could be crossed in German panzers were not bothered.” French had posted their weakest tank nine days. Guderian estimated that he The commander of the Northeast forces, around Sedan on the bank of could do it in four. In fact, Guderian’s Front ordered the priority for bombing the Meuse river. panzers burst out of the Ardennes at to be switched from Belgium to the Sedan, six miles inside the French central region around Sedan. How- THROUGH THE ARDENNES border, on the afternoon of May 12, well ever, his headquarters was back in “Operations in the Netherlands and ahead of expectation. e French re- France. e local French commander northern Belgium were now envisioned treated across the Meuse, and Guderi- ignored the order and directed that as a ‘matador’s cloak’ to draw French an occupied Sedan without opposition. two-thirds of the air support go to the forces into that area, while von Rundst- e German infantry was close behind. forces in Belgium. edt struck the lethal sword blow in the On May 13, panzers from Kleist’s right e remaining French and British air

south,” said historian Jackson. ank crossed the Meuse. First to reach forces assailed the Germans crossing LibraryPhotos: Eckert/German National Archives of Erhardt Federal France;

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  Lt. Gen. Heinz getting their forces to the pickup points Guderian in at Dunkirk, and some vessels departed a tank car in half empty. About 40,000 French troops France, along were left to be captured. with radio e Germans might have wreaked operators more devastation except for a Hitler with Enigma order May 24 for the army to stop encryption its advance. is has been explained devices. variously as a gesture o ering peace Guderian was to the British, as a measure to allow controversial the Luftwa e to nish o the enemy among German at Dunkirk, or simply a judgment to military leaders, slow the attenuated German force and but proved to reduce vulnerability to its anks. be a brilliant tactician. COLLAPSE e invasion force could now turn its full attention south into France. e Stukas roamed freely ahead of the panzers and infantry, clearing anything that lay in their path. e Maginot Line held, with some skirmishing, but it was irrelevant. e French government abandoned Paris on June 11 and declared it an open city. e Germans marched in on June 14. e Armistice—a poorly disguised surrender—was signed June 22, bringing the ird French Republic the Meuse, but it was not enough to ity, although he was somewhat early to an end. prevent Guderian from establishing in conceding the loss. “We have been The victory was hardly free. The a bridgehead. Guderian, meanwhile, defeated,” he told British Prime Minis- Germans took 156,492 casualties, in- was supported superbly by the Luft- ter Winston Churchill May 15. “We are cluding 27,074 killed, and heavy losses wa e, and especially by the Stuka dive beaten. We have lost the battle.” in tanks and aircraft. bombers. Directed to counterattack, Gamelin e toll was much higher on the asked, “With what? I have no more Allies, who sustained 2,291,340 ca- FROM SEDAN TO THE SEA reserves. Between Laon and Paris, I sualties, the great majority of them Guderian was no sooner across the do not have a single corps of soldiers by the French. e French troops on Meuse than he left one of his divisions at my disposal.” the ghting line fought doggedly and to consolidate the position and struck Gamelin was not as bereft of re- well, as reected by the casualty count: out to the northwest with the other sources as he claimed but the available 90,000 killed, 200,000 wounded, and two. Kleist was wary of the risk of the reserves were scattered loosely along 1,900,000 missing or taken prisoner. advance but he did not prohibit it. the front. Gamelin persisted in his at commitment and the initial Two days later, the panzers were 40 detachment from operations, leaving advantage in numbers and equip- miles into France. On May 17, Kleist, conduct of the battle to the ine ectual ment could not overcome the failure worried that the operation was going commander of the Northeast Front. in strategy and leadership. e French too fast, ordered Guderian to stop the Former army chief Weygand was re- could not break free of their outmoded attack and relieved him of command— called to active duty May 19 to replace concept of war, nor could they adapt which was promptly restored by von Gamelin. At 73, Weygand was even to concentrate their available forces Rundstedt. Guderian then contin- older than Gamelin and no more able to any real e ect. ued toward the coast, cutting a swath to gure out what to do. Only so much of the blame for the through northern France that was lled at left most of two French armies, defeat can be assigned to the French. in by German forces coming behind. including the mobile tank divisions, e excellent military performance of Breakout from Sedan, crucial to and all but one of the divisions of the the Germans was also a critical fac- the German victory, was achieved at British Expeditionary Force stranded in tor in the battle. However, they were Guderian’s initiative. “I never received Flanders and Belgium and cut o from greatly aided in that respect by the any further order as to what I was to do France. Belgium surrendered May 28. disengagement and incompetence of once the bridgehead over the Meuse A vast British evacuation, calling the French high command. J was captured,” he said in his memoirs. on more than 700 ships and boats of “All my decisions, until I reached the all sizes, plucked 338,226 Allied sol- John T. Correll was the edi- Atlantic seaboard at Abbeville, were diers—mostly British but also 110,000 tor-in-chief of Air Force Magazine for taken by me and me alone.” French—from the beaches at Dunkirk 18 years and is now a contributor. His Prime Minister Paul Reynaud was between May 26 and June 4. most recent article, “Into Son Tay,” ap-

among the rst to recognize the calam- e French were curiously slow in peared in the October/November issue. Archives Federal German Photo:

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01_28914_001_BIB.indd 1 10/2/18 7:23 AM THE BEST BARGAIN IN MILITARY HISTORY

A B-52G with Strategic Air Command The B-52 has proven itself stunningly readies for takeo from a base in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm in e€ective and adaptable to whatever 1991. B-52s delivered more than 27,000 the world throws its way. tons of bombs during the conflict.

By Walter J. Boyne and Philip Handleman he B-52 is a mainstay of the the early jet engines failed to provide tegic bomber was heightened in June US bomber fleet. Though the blend of high thrust and efficient 1948 when the Soviet Union block- officially named the Strato- fuel consumption necessary to carry a aded the Western sectors of Berlin. It fortress, the subsonic bomb- heavily laden bomber great distances, became clear that the United States er is more often called the as the air force requirement mandated. would need a modern heavy-bomber BUFF for Big Ugly Fat Fellow Not surprisingly, the first post–World force to counter the threat posed by (whileT in less pristine jargon the last War II heavy bomber was the mixed the rising tensions of the Cold War. word is replaced by an alliterative propulsion B-36 Peacemaker, which Against this backdrop of increased expletive). A total of 102 H-models had a combination of propeller-driven urgency, work on the B-52 continued were built as the concluding segment and pure jet engines that were various- with a heightened sense of purpose. of a production run that aggregated ly “turning and burning.” The Air Force procurement officer 744 aircraft. Boeing had conceived a scaled-up on the project, Col. Pete Warden, was The last B-52 rolled off the assembly version of its B-29/B-50 with six tur- open to the idea of a pure jet design, line in October 1962. Virtually all crew boprops. Meanwhile, though, Boeing but he wanted the turboprop configu- members who currently fly aboard the was developing the XB-47, a futuristic ration to remain a consideration. There bomber were born after it was built. medium bomber with swept wings and are varying accounts of what happened The aircraft has undergone extensive four jet engines mounted in cluster next, but in general the story goes that structural modifications and avionics pods. Because of the thrust limitation, on a Friday in mid-October 1948, Boe- upgrades during its extended service fifth and sixth jet engines were added ing’s top designers and aerodynami- life, keeping it an effective platform in individual pods on either side near cists—Ed Wells, George Schairer, Bob well into the twenty-first century. The the wingtips. The promising possi- Withington, Vaughan Blumenthal, Art miracle of its adaptability goes back to bilities of this jet-powered medium Carlsen, and Maynard Pennell—met its development. bomber led some on the Boeing design with Warden at Wright-Patterson Air By the end of World War II, the team to suggest that the heavy bomber Force Base in Ohio. jet engine was a reality that the Air should be similarly configured with Reportedly Warden told the men at Force sought to exploit in its emer- pure jets rather than turboprops. that point that a pure jet design was the gent bombers. The problem was that The imperative for a long-range stra- way to go after all, but that the con gu-

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM The final model was the B-52H, built exclusively at the Wichita plant. Notably, it received an engine up- grade that not only boosted thrust, but improved consumption to where a 30-percent increase in unrefueled range was possible. The machine guns in the tail were replaced by the Vulcan gun system with six barrel 20-mm cannon. The B-52 was a key asset of Strate- gic Air Command. The bomber fre- quently flew long-range high-altitude missions in preparation for a nucle- ar counterstrike against the Soviet Union. However, with the rise of a sophisticated surface-to-air missile threat, doctrine shifted and the bomb- ers started to fly low-level missions as a means to avoid radar detection. Airmen perform a postflight inspection on a B-52 at Andersen AFB, Guam. Since The increased flying in thicker and 2004, B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s have been rotating in and out of the base as part of a more turbulent air near the ground continuous bomber presence in the region. necessitated structural upgrades to the B-52 fleet. ration they had presented was de cient important foray. e ight lasted nearly Under the hard-charging SAC com- for it would hold back the bomber’s three hours as Tex and his copilot, Air mander, Curtis LeMay, B-52 flight and speed. ey needed a greater angle of Force Lt. Col. Guy Townsend, got the maintenance crews were forged into sweep, closer to that of the B-47, and feel of the new plane. an exceptionally professional fighting more engines than the six adopted for It was soon determined that the force. SAC operated with great regi- the B-47. e Boeing team regrouped in bubble-type canopy under which the mentation. It was an organization that a room at Dayton’s Van Cleve Hotel and pilot and copilot were seated in tan- exemplified the virtues of discipline worked nonstop through the weekend, dem should be changed to a more and teamwork. sparing no eort to create the de nitive conventional bomber flight deck layout Largely because of the finely honed design. ey even obtained balsa wood with side-by-side seating. Landing skills of SAC’s personnel and the un- from a local hobby shop to sculpt a gear consisted of bicycle-type twin- paralleled efficacy of its bombers, model of their proposed heavy bomber. row trucks of two wheels each spaced Soviet leaders did not dare to tap the First thing Monday morning the along the length of the lower fuselage. tripwire. The certainty of catastrophic team showed up in Warden’s office Innovatively, the wheels could pivot to consequences prevented the Cold with the model fittingly decorated in remain in line with the runway as the War from erupting into a shooting Air Force colors. Also, they submitted aircraft crabbed at an angle in a cross- war. SAC’s motto of “Peace through a thirty-three-page report revealing wind. Lithe outrigger gear at the wing- strength” provided an epigrammatic performance, engineering, production, tips kept the fuel-laden wings from description of the winning strategy. and cost details that represented the drooping to the ground and scraping Without a single bomb being dropped culmination of their extraordinary against the taxiway/runway pavement. in anger, the generational contest exertions over the weekend. The wing A wing with a high angle of inci- ended in a euphoric moment at the was swept thirty-five degrees and the dence permitted rotation while the wall in Berlin where it had symboli- aircraft was to be powered by eight aircraft was still positioned horizontally. cally begun. engines mounted in four under-wing Auxiliary power for the many power pods of two engines each. requirements in the massive airframe BAPTISM OF FIRE IN VIETNAM came from a bleed-air system driving It was in the unlikely airspace over the AN ENGINEERING MARVEL small turbines. e original Pratt & jungles of Vietnam that the B-52 got its Though it defied the odds, the de- Whitney J57 turbojets, which produced baptism of re. Raids started on June 18, sign thrashed out that weekend by eighty-seven hundred pounds of thrust, 1965. B-52Fs ying from Andersen Air the team from Seattle proved to be were accompanied by deafening howls Force Base in Guam ranged over prese- an engineering marvel. The design and black smoke trails. Reecting the lected sites in South Vietnam where the that derived from such improbable myriad improvements to the aircraft Viet Cong were thought to be operating. circumstances led to the B-52, which over its amazingly long time in service is e bombing campaign, characterized profoundly affected the balance of the fact that today’s Pratt & Whitney TF- by long ights and questionable eects, power for the generation to come and 33 turbofan engines are rated at nearly ensued for years under the code name remains a bulwark of American might. double the thrust level of the bomber’s Arc Light. As the war dragged on, some Maiden ight occurred less than four earliest engines. missions were own out of the much years later, on April 15, 1952. Lead test The first combat-capable version closer U Tapao Air Base in ailand. pilot was the amboyant Tex Johnston, was the B-52B, which achieved readi- Frustration reached the boiling point Boeing’s choice to take the helm on this ness in June 1955. in late 1972 when North Vietnam would Photos: TSgt. Rose Archives; Reynolds National A1C Alexa via Ann Henderson

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  A new B-52 rolls out at the Boeing facility in Seattle during a night production-line move during the 1950s. The first BUFF flew in 1952. not negotiate in earnest at the Paris nuclear triad, which still includes cleansing against Albanian and Muslim Peace Talks. Massive raids were or- them as part of the bomber compo- majorities in Yugoslavia’s Kosovo prov- dered to jump-start the stalled diplo- nent along with land-based ICBMs ince. B-52s staged for sorties at RAF macy. For eleven days in December, and submarine-launched ballistic Fairford in England. ese operations the skies over North Vietnam reverber- missiles. initially involved use of CALCMs and ated with the roar of waves of B-52s. soon entailed gravity bombs. e ethnic Hanoi and Haiphong, the North’s two FROM COLD WAR TO HOT WARS cleansing at rst accelerated, but as the major cities, were targeted like never When the Iron Curtain nally came bombing ramped up, the Serbian forces before. crumbling down on Nov. 9, 1989, there stood down and a peace agreement was Because the airspace was more was but a brief sigh of relief for US signed on June 9. heavily defended than any other in the airmen. In 1990, Kuwait, a small and Any thought of mothballing the eet history of air warfare up to that time, vulnerable country rich in oil reserves, of aging bombers ended on Sept. 11, B-52 losses were considerable. The had been overrun by its belligerent 2001. Jihadi terrorists hijacked four do- array of top-line Soviet surface-to-air neighbor to the north. In conjunction mestic US airliners. Two were rammed missile batteries caused an attrition with a large coalition of international into the twin towers of the World Trade rate of 7 percent after the first three partners, US air strikes were ordered Center and one was flown into the nights of bombing. Tactics employed against Iraq in early 1991. side of the Pentagon. Passengers were in the bombing campaign, known In the opening phase of Operation aroused on the fourth airliner, and after as Linebacker II, were flawed and Desert Storm, seven B-52s from Barks- a ght for control it slammed into a eld contributed to the toll. Changes were dale Air Force Base in Louisiana em- near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. implemented and SAM positions were barked on a mission to Saudi airspace Nearly three thousand people were targeted with renewed vigor, which where they employed Conventional Air killed. Most of the victims were civil- improved the situation. Launched Cruise Missiles (CALCMs) ians. e horrifying acts prompted a The relentless pounding, in coordi- against designated targets in Iraq. e military response less than a month nation with other Air Force and Navy bombers then returned to their home later. As Operation Enduring Freedom attack aircraft, had a substantial im- base in what was the most distant bomb unfolded, B-52s and other bombers pact. Not only did the North Vietnam- run in history up to that time. The aided the takedown of Afghanistan’s ese take up negotiations again in Paris, nonstop mission involved multiple air Taliban government and the scattering but the North’s military leaders along refuelings and lasted a grueling thir- of the al Qaeda terrorist organization’s with a large portion of the North’s ty- ve hours. key leaders. In addition to bombs, B-52s population were deeply shaken. It was Isolated carpet bombing was suc- dropped propaganda leaets. revealed years afterwards that officials cessful in compelling Iraqi troops to With radicalized elements in the Mid- in the North had doubted their ability abandon their positions and surrender. dle East seemingly intent on obtaining to continue resisting because of Line- B-52s delivered more than twenty-seven weapons of mass destruction, fears grew backer II’s devastation. thousand tons of bombs. In little more in Western capitals that Iraqi dictator Interestingly, SAM defenses had than a month of aerial bombardment Saddam Hussein may have developed been depleted, which meant that the and a matter of only a few days of such weapons. ough the suspicions skies would have been virtually open land warfare, Kuwaiti sovereignty was were later determined to be unfounded, to US bombers had raids continued. restored. the United States decided once and for When the constraining rules of en- e following year, with the Cold all to remove Saddam from power. gagement had been lifted by US pol- War lapsing into faded memories, the B-52s played a role in Operation Iraqi icymakers, measurable results were Air Force was restructured to better Freedom, which got underway the night evidenced. All of this has caused some contend with new global challenges. of March 20, 2003. Flying from Fairford analysts to wonder what outcome Strategic Air Command was inactivat- and the island of Diego Garcia, the B-52s might have been achieved if such fe- ed; its B-52s were transferred to the pummeled Iraqi forces with a variety of rocious air strikes had been unleashed newly established Air Combat Com- ordnance. e air campaign persisted early in the war. mand. In the post-Soviet era, with no for eighteen days until Saddam’s regime For nearly the next two decades, the strong- sted global power imposing its was toppled. B-52 force refocused on the Cold War. will in forgotten corners of the world, e bomber has proven to be a versa- Crews remained on alert in scramble long-simmering ethnic divisions broke tile delivery platform. It can be con g- huts near their bombers, ready to out in the Balkans. ured for the full range of bomber-attack launch retaliatory strikes on a mo- In the spring of 1999, Operation Al- missions, including nuclear strikes, ment’s notice. The nuclear-armed lied Force commenced against Ser- conventional saturation bombing, and B-52s were a main component of the bian forces to stop so-called ethnic surgical blows. Before the Air Force had

 DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM changes, which it claims would be the SrA. John Myer pushes lowest-cost solution. a tow bar under a B-52H Beyond modications to keep the during a Red Flag exercise B-52 viable as a ying machine, exten- at Nellis AFB, Nev., in 2013. sive avionics and weapons upgrades continue to be implemented to en- hance the aircraft as a combat platform. One of the more important programs is the coming replacement of the B-52’s outdated APQ-166 radar. Meanwhile, phased installation of the Combat Net- work Communications Technology (CONECT) is occurring to integrate the bomber into network-centric op- erations. With the addition of the Link 16 data link, the B-52 will have an un- matched ability for secure communica- tion with other mission aircraft. Whereas in the past, human-to-hu- deployed a large number of Predator/ given target set. Yet the fact that so few man communication via voice was nec- Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles to the comprise the force means that there is essary, it will be possible for vital data con ict in Southwest Asia, the B-52H hardly any margin for attrition. to be transmitted machine to machine. served as a kind of close air support Despite its age, the B-52 has contin- is technology will simplify and speed aircraft, loitering high above the battle- ued to demonstrate its worth. Both the up the transfer of target coordinates to eld for long durations and launching Air Force and prime contractor Boeing the B-52 from ground-based tactical air precision-guided weapons as directed see the old bomber soldiering on for controllers. By eliminating tasks in the by ground troops. years to come. Indeed, an Air Force data transfer process, the so-called kill study has projected that the B-52H chain will be compressed and there will RENEWED FOCUS can remain a viable military platform be less probability of awed data entry. Concerns over the integrity of through 2044, and Boeing has indicated Separately, installations of an up- the US nuclear arsenal arose when that the aircraft can keep ying through graded rotary launcher have begun. a succession of troubling incidents 2060, based on a structural service life Along with an electrical power system demonstrated that oversight and of eighty thousand hours. If the latter enhancement, this will give the B-52 proper handling were deficient. A new comes true, B-52s—the actual airframes the ability to carry large numbers of the organization was established to renew of the models currently ying—will precision Joint Air-to-Surface Stando the high levels of safety, security, and achieve an operational span of nine- Missile (JASSM) internally. Also in the effectiveness that nuclear weapons ty-nine years. works is the follow-on cruise missile, warrant and that were manifest during One modernization idea was to known as the Long-Range Standoff the time of the vaunted Strategic Air swap out the B-52’s eight aging engines (LRSO) weapon, which will eventually Command. with four engines of the type used on equip the B-52. Air Force Global Strike Command either the Lockheed C-5 cargo plane With further modications and up- was activated on Aug. 7, 2009, to as- or the Boeing 757 airliner. This would grades in the years to come, some sume this important responsibility. have led to significantly reduced main- current crew members speculate that The B-52 fleet, the sole B-2 wing, and tenance and higher fuel efficiency, but the B-52 will be around long enough the three remaining ICBM wings came was rejected because of the estimated for their children and maybe even their under its purview at that time. time and cost to integrate the aero- grandchildren to y it. Little could Boe- A current focus is on the Pacific Rim, dynamics-changing retrofit. Instead, ing’s design team have known during as China flexes its new-found muscle attention focused on the possibility the drawn-out weekend at the Van and the irascible North Korean regime of doing an engine-for-engine swap so Cleve Hotel, sketching congurations, continues to make mischief. B-52Hs that the aircraft’s configuration would running numbers, and fashioning a are currently rotated on a virtual per- remain essentially unchanged. balsa wood model that their labors manent basis at Andersen Air Force Under this proposal, the replace- would yield such a long-lived war- Base in Guam. With air tanker sup- ments would be o-the-shelf engines plane. e Air Force has already stated port, this outpost in the Pacific gives used on regional airliners or high-end that it expects the B-52 Stratofortress to the bombers a springboard to reach business jets, oering better maintain- complement the next bomber, the B-21 points in Asia. ability, sustainability, and performance. Raider, when it enters service, sched- ere are sixty-ve combat-coded From an environmental standpoint uled for the mid-2020s. J B-52s left in active duty (split between these engines would be drastically Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana less polluting and much quieter. Also, Walter J. Boyne and Philip Handleman and Minot Air Force Base in North additional thrust would permit the are the authors of “The 25 Most Influen- Dakota). Eleven are in the reserves at carriage of a heavier payload. Pratt & tial Aircraft of All Time,” from which this Barksdale. Because these bombers have Whitney, manufacturer of the bomber’s article is excerpted. Copyright by the precision strike capability, substantially decades-old TF33 engines, advocates authors, by permission of Globe Pequot

fewer airframes are required to hit a upgrading them through targeted design (rowman.com). Jr. Young SSgt.Photos: AFA; Vernon

DECEMBER  H AIRFORCEMAG.COM  AFA’s Spencer Honored

Paul Severance (left) and John Sperling (right) of the Eisenhower School present Gen. Larry Spencer with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award at the Air Force Association’s 2018 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md.

en. Larry O. Spencer, Presi- Spencer said he was surprised and sometimes can’t nd a way to get them dent of the Air Force Asso- overwhelmed by the award. “Under- heard by the people at the top who can ciation and Publisher of Air standing the level and contributions of apply the ideas and make them happen. Force Magazine, on Sept. 19 others that have received this award, I e ‘frozen middle’ is hard to break was given the Dwight D. Ei- don’t know how I got into that company,” through, and we should reward those senhowerG Award from the Eisenhower he said. “I am very honored.” with the perseverance and determina- School (formerly the Industrial College Spencer, who retired as a four-star tion to ght through those layers ... to get of the Armed Services). e prestigious Air Force general serving as USAF’s Vice their innovative ideas heard.” award, presented to former students or Chief of Sta in 2015, began his military Scheduled to leave his post as Pres- instructors at the school, is sponsored career as an enlisted airman in 1971. He ident of AFA in a few months, Spencer by the ICAF-ES Alumni Association and attended Ocer Training School and has no intention of retiring. He is certain, was presented at the Air Force Anniver- was commissioned as a second lieu- he said, that he will continue the charity sary Dinner Gala on the closing night tenant in 1980. In 1993, he was selected work he already performs—and perhaps of the Air Force Association’s 2018 Air, to attend ICAF, where he was a distin- expand it—and doesn’t rule out working Space & Cyber Conference in National guished graduate and received a master in the private sector or even for another Harbor, Md. of science degree in resource strategy. nonprot organization. His focus has Criteria considered when choosing USAF has also honored Spencer. In long been nurturing and encouraging an award recipient include support June 2015, the Air Force created a new innovation and thinking “outside the of US armed services and security-re- award to recognize innovation and e- box,” particularly among young people lated agencies with strategic impact; ciency within the service and named it and those just beginning their careers, exceptional contributions to a strong for Spencer, who created, as Vice Chief and he’d like to continue his eorts in US national security and industrial of Sta, the “Make Every Dollar Count” that direction. base; active support of the US defense and “Airmen Powered by Innovation” “People don’t like change,” he said. industrial base; and leadership in den- programs to encourage airmen—partic- “ ey say they do, but really, they don’t. ing and addressing US industrial base ularly the enlisted corps—to bring new But it takes a diverse group of think- and national security issues, among ideas into Air Force operations. e Gen- ers—diversity in gender, race, educa- other criteria. Former award recipi- eral Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award tion, social experience—to come up ents include Secretary of Defense Dick recognizes airmen who bring innovation with dierent ideas … ways of doing Cheney, Secretary of Defense William into the service. things. Not every ‘different’ idea is Perry, Joint Chiefs of Sta Chairman “ ere’s a ‘frozen middle’ in large better, but we all need to challenge Gen. John Vessey, and House Armed organizations that—deliberately or not— the status quo to ensure we don’t get Services Committee Chairman Rep. Ike tends to stie innovation,” Spencer said. trapped inside our own sphere of

Skelton of Missouri. “Young airmen are full of good ideas, but knowledge.” J Photo: Tsukamoto/sta Mike

 DECEMBER  AIRFORCEMAG.COM AFA Emerging Leaders By Rachel Cox

Nathan Wages Elinor Otto, one of Home State: Georgia the original Rosie the Chapter: David C. Jones Chapter (N.D.) Riveters, and Nathan Joined AFA: 2014 Wages at AFA’s Air, AFA Office: North Dakota State Presi- Space & Cyber dent, former Chapter President, and Vice Conference in 2017. President Military Service: 1999-present, Active Duty Occupation: Aircraft Specialist Section Superintendent Education: A.A.S., Aviation Maintenance Technology, and A.A.S., Operations Man- agement, Community College of the Air Force; B.S., Criminal Justice, Southwest- ern College

How did you first hear of AFA? Honestly, I’ve heard people talk about AFA most of my career, however, in my early airman years I really didn’t know what it was all about.

What prompted you to join? My wife became a lifetime member when she was in high school, so needless to say, once we got married she convinced me to join and help the local chapter with her

What do you enjoy most about your AFA membership? I enjoy all the opportunities I’ve had to meet people throughout the community, such YOUR OLD WATCH MAY BE WORTH as senators and all the Air Force leaders $10 ,000 OR MORE $$ that I would have never had the chance to meet otherwise. My favorite was meeting an original “Rosie the Riveter!” Military Issue How do we build awareness about AFA? Some people think AFSA (Air Force Ser- Mechanical geant’s Association) and AFA are the same organization. I’ve even had lieutenants tell me that their rater doesn’t push private Dive Watches organizations, so they’re not interested. I’ve had SNCOs including chiefs ask me what the di†erence is between AFA and AFSA. Vietnam Era Because AFA and AFSA sound so similar, I try to avoid using the term AFA and actually say Air Force Association now when I talk to people.

How has AFA helped you? Through my constant interactions with people, AFA has helped to improve my Contact: Mike Tovar, Navy Vet communication skills. 310-683-8675 [email protected]

DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM  US Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation Mario Rios 1. Publication Title: Air Force Magazine Home State: Texas 2. Publication Number: 0730-6784 Chapter: Salt Lake City 3. Filing Date: Oct. 16, 2018 Chapter (Utah) 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly, except for two double issues, Jan./Feb. and July/Aug. Joined AFA: 2012 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 10 AFA Office: Utah State Trea- 6. Annual Subscription Price: $50.00 surer 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known O‘ice of Publication (not printer): 1501 Military Service: 2002- Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198. Contact Person: Eric Chang Lee. Tele- phone: 703-247-5849 2005, Active Duty, 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business O‘ice of 2013-present Air Force Re- Publisher (not printer): 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198 serve 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Occupation: SBIR Technolo- Managing Editor: Publisher: Larry O. Spencer, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198; gy Transition Agent Editor: Tobias Naegele, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198; Man - Education: B.S. Industrial En- aging Editor: Juliette Kelsey, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198 gineering, Instituto Tecnológi- 10. Owner: Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198 co y de Estudios Superiores 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other de Monterrey Securities: None 12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail How did you first hear of AFA? at nonprofit rates): Has not changed during preceding 12 months When I moved to Utah in 2011 to start working for the Small Busi - 13. Publication Title: Air Force Magazine ness Innovation Research (SBIR) program, one of my coworkers 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Sept. 1, 2018 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Average No. No. Copies of recommended I attend a meeting with the Industrial Associates Monthly Journal of the Air Force Association Copies Each Single Is sue (IA) of Utah AFA. This was my introduction to AFA and the IA. Issue During Pub lished Preceding 12 Nearest to Months Filing Date What prompted you to join? a. Total Number of Copies (net press run) 83,956 80,583 Once I talked to the folks there, it seemed like a great opportu - b. Paid Circulation (by mail and outside the mail) nity to network and make some good SBIR connections. During (1) Mailed outside-county paid subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541 (include paid distri- that first meeting, the IA were looking for volunteers to replace bution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof the current treasurer, and I raised my hand just to be nice. I got copies, and exchange copies) 74,076 71,394 (2) Mailed in-county paid subscriptions stated the treasurer position since no one else volunteered. I became on PS Form 3541 (include paid distribution an AFA member at that point and have been involved ever since. above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) 0 0 (3) Paid distribution outside the mails What do you enjoy most about your AFA membership? including sales through dealers and carriers, I like being part of the state committee (Utah AFA). There are street vendors, counter sales, and other paid a lot of activities for committee members to get more involved distribution outside USPS 1,295 1,848 (4) Paid distribution by other classes of mail within AFA, as well as community events that give me the op - through the USPS (e.g., first-class mail) 0 0 portunity to interact and network with other great leaders who c. Total Paid Distribution [sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), (4)] 75,371 73,242 are making a difference. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (by mail and outside the mail) What should AFA do to draw in more members? (1) Free or nominal rate outside-county copies included on PS Form 3541 0 0 We need to identify ways to involve members in AFA activities. (2) Free or nominal rate in-county copies Members will renew when they feel valued and believe they included on PS Form 3541 0 0 are contributing to the organization. (3) Free or nominal rate copies mailed at other classes through the USPS (e.g., first-class mail) 0 0 (4) Free or nominal rate distribution outside How do we build awareness about AFA? the mail (carriers or other means) 577 577 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution We can drive awareness by word of mouth, print literature, [sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), (4)] 577 577 event sponsorship, and community involvement, among other f. Total Distribution [sum of 15c and 15e] 75,948 73,819 activities AFA has and will continue to be involved with. g. Copies Not Distributed 8,008 6,764 h. Total [sum of 15f and g] 83,956 80,583 i. Percent Paid [15c / 15f x 100] 99.24% 99.22% How has AFA helped you? 16. Electronic Copy Circulation AFA has helped me in my current job by providing the oppor - a. Paid electronic copies 0 0 b. Total paid print copies (15c) + paid electron- tunity to make connections and build a network. It has helped ic copies (16a) 75,371 73,242 me personally by providing opportunities to lead efforts and c. Total print distribution (15f) + paid electron- ic copies (16a) 75,948 73,819 have a committee position. d. Percent paid (both print & electronic cop - ies)(16b / 16c x 100) 99.24% 99.22%

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is AFA began an Emerging Leaders Program in 2013 as an avenue to secure required. Will be printed in the December 2018 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: AFA’s future. The purpose of the program is to identify, motivate, develop, Eric Chang Lee (signed), Production Manager. Date: Oct. 16, 2018 and encourage emerging leaders to serve actively in AFA by providing I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I under- hands-on experience and unique insights into how AFA operates and is stand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form governed. Emerging Leaders volunteer for a year. With guidance from a or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions mentor, they participate on a national-level council, attend national leader (including civil penalties). orientations, and serve as National Convention delegates. RiosCourtesy Mario Wages; photos: Nathan

 DECEMBER  H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM We are YOUR Air Force Association We are AIRMEN for LIFE

For a $50/year Membership or a $35/year E-Membership, you too can be part of an organization that believes whether you are Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, or Civil Air Patrol; in uniform or civilian; students, cadets, or family members – we are all Airmen for Life.

The Air Force Association exists so we can all be Airmen for Life. It is the very foundation on which General Jimmy Doolittle built AFA.

Of course, the world and the Air Force have changed a lot since 1946. However, one fact remains unchanged: We are all Airmen who believe deeply in a dominant Air Force for our nation.

Join today at www.AFA.org Namesakes

2

3

1/ Charles Loring as a major in the Air Force. 2/ Loring AFB, Maine, in 1968. 3/ Lieutenant 1 Loring beside a P-47 in World War II. CHARLES JOSEPH LORING JR. Born: Oct. 2, 1918, Portland, Maine Died: Nov. 22, 1952 (KIA) Kunwha, North Korea Education: Cheverus High School, Maine LORING Occupation: US military o€ icer Services: US Army Air Forces, US Air Force Blaze Of Glory Main Eras: World War II, Korean War Years Active: 1942-52 Loring Air Force Base, in remote northern Korea and soon linked up with the 36th Combat: Northern Europe, Korea Fighter-Bomber Squadron, an F-80 unit Maine, was shuttered long ago, but many re- Final Grade: Major member the warrior for whom it was named. concerned with flying close air support Honors: Medal of Honor, Distinguished Flying Cross, Charles J. Loring Jr. was a superb fighter and interdiction of Communist ground Purple Heart (2), Air Medal (12), Prisoner of War Medal, pilot. He fought in Europe and then in Korea, targets. It took him only a few months to American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle where he died in a blaze of glory. bag 50 combat missions. Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Na- Born in Portland, Maine, Loring graduat- On Nov. 22, 1952, US-led allied forces tional Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Air ed from a Catholic school there and began were operating near Sniper Ridge, 20 miles Force Longevity Service Award, Belgian Croix de Guerre a promising career as a professional boxer. north of the 38th Parallel. China had massed with Palm, Korean War Service Medal. However, his life changed utterly when 133 large-caliber guns, 24 rocket-launchers, Buried: Arlington National Cemetery (cenotaph only, body the US entered World War II. In March 1942, and 47 anti-aircraft guns, posing a major not recovered) Charley Loring enlisted in the Army and threat. A call went out for airpower. soon moved on to the Air Corps. He was Loring, recently promoted to major, led LORING AIR FORCE BASE awarded wings in December 1942. a flight of F-80s to dive-bomb the Chinese State: Maine In early 1944, he and his 36th Fighter guns. Shortly after he began his dive, his Nearest City: Limestone Group, a P-47 unit, were sent to England. F-80 was struck multiple times by AAA fire, Area: 22.3 sq mi / 14,300 acres They struck German forces before, during, yet he did not try to pull out and attempt Status: Closed and after the Normandy invasion. Loring a risky escape and return to home base. Opened as Limestone AAF: April 15, 1947 once destroyed 10 German armored vehi- The other pilots looked on, stunned, as Renamed Limestone AFB: June 6, 1950 cles in a single mission, an act for which Loring, rather than abort the mission, contin- Renamed Loring AFB: Oct. 1, 1954 he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. ued to dive. At 4,000 feet, he accelerated his Closed by USAF: Oct. 1, 1994 Current owner: Loring Development Authority Loring flew 54 missions and ran out of aircraft at a 40-degree angle in a controlled Former owners: Strategic Air Command 1947-92; Air luck. On Christmas Eve 1944, during his 55th maneuver. The F-80 crashed directly into Combat Command (1992-94) mission, he was shot down and captured, the gun position, obliterating it but killing after which he was a POW for six months. Loring in the process. The experience left a scar. Why did Loring do it? Some thought that In 1947, the Army built Limestone Army “Charley was a stubborn man,” Loring’s it was to avoid becoming a Chinese POW. Airfield in far northern Maine—the first US father later noted. “He said he would never Others believed he was impelled by a sense site specifically constructed for the storage be a prisoner again.” It was a fateful remark. of duty to Allied ground forces. In any event, and assembly of atomic weapons. USAF After the war, Loring was stuck for he silenced the Chinese artillery and saved in 1954 renamed it in honor of Loring. For years in nonflying posts. He avidly sought many lives. Loring was awarded a Medal most of existence, the base was home to combat duty when the Korean War erupt- of Honor posthumously. His remains have the bombers, tankers, and interceptors of ✪

ed in 1950. In May 1952, Loring went to never been recovered. Strategic Air Command. Museum Training II Air Force; Flight of US Library the Museum Photos: of War National Congress; World

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